Isoforms of Jun Kinase Are Differentially Expressed and Activated in Human Monocyte/Macrophage (THP-1) Cells

Abstract Ten isoforms of c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) have been described that arise by differential mRNA splicing of three genes. In that the relative expression and function of these different JNK proteins in human monocytic cells is not known, we have examined the JNK isoforms in THP-1 monocyte/macrophage cells. Differentiation of THP-1 cells by exposure to 10−8 M PMA for 42–48 h enhances cellular responses to LPS, including enhanced activation of total JNK activity and increased phosphorylation of p54 JNK as well as p46 JNK. Examination of JNK proteins on Western blots reveals a predominance of p46 JNK1 and p54 JNK2 proteins. Clearing of lysates by immunoprecipitation of JNK1(99% effective) removes 46% of the JNK enzymatic activity (p < 0.01), whereas clearing of JNK1 plus JNK2 (70% effective) depletes the sample of 72% of the JNK activity (p < 0.01). Further analysis, undertaken with real-time RT-PCR, revealed that 98% of the JNK messages code for three isoforms: JNK1β1, JNK2α1, and JNK2α2. The p54 JNK that is phosphorylated in LPS-stimulated, PMA-differentiated THP-1 cells is most likely JNK2α2 because 97% of the p54 JNK-encoding messages code for JNK2α2. By analogous reasoning, the p46 JNKs that are not heavily phosphorylated, but account for approximately half of the N-terminal c-jun kinase enzymatic activity, are most likely either JNK1β1 or JNK2α1 because they account for 98% of the messages that can code for 46kDa JNKs.