Investigators from National Cancer Institute (NCI) Target Nucleoproteins (Phosphorylation By Jnk Switches Brd4 Functions).

Researchers from the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, have discovered that phosphorylation by c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) triggers a functional switch in the nucleoprotein BRD4, transitioning it from a chromatin regulator to a transcriptional activator. This switch leads to the promotion of gene transcription involved in immune and inflammatory responses, as well as the induction of specific cellular processes like CD8 expression in thymocytes and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in prostate cancer cells. The study sheds light on the intricate mechanisms underlying BRD4's diverse functions in cellular processes and cancer development. [Extracted from the article]