Abstract:Signal transduction pathways enable cells to respond to different complex external environmental stimulation in time, thus producing biological effects in response to infection by various pathogens. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and its downstream targets are among the most critical signaling modules that can transform environmental stress into many cellular processes. They are most common in mammalian cells and are almost involved in the physiological and pathological responses of all cells. MAPK regulates the host’s immune response to various environmental stress, including bacterial infection and inflammasomes. Recent studies have shown that pathogens may release specific effectors or toxins to hijack the MAPK signaling pathway during infection in two ways. One is to degrade essential proteins to affect signal transduction, and the other is to influence host cell post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation and ubiquitination, to regulate many cellular processes. This review discussed the regulation and activation of MAPK in innate immunity and explored the complex mechanism of pathogens in manipulating MAPK activation to enhance infection and the potential role of MAPK regulated by pathogens as a novel target against pathogen infection.
