Background - Encodes a serine/threonine kinase believed to function in the cellular stress response pathway. Activated in response to hypotonic (movement of water into a cell) stress , leading to phosphorylation of several cation-chloride-coupled co-transporters. The kinase specifically activates the p38 MAP kinase pathway, and its interaction with p38 decreases upon cellular stress. This suggests that this kinase may serve as an intermediate in the response to cellular stress.
In the News: Science Daily had a news article on this gene in relation to hypertension in the Old Order Amish. I like how gene association studies are referred to as a new technique. Not really they have been around for awhile. I however do like that they use a religious isolate for this study as opposed just a phenotype between carriers of the locus versus those who don't. Through the use of families you reduce Type 1 statistical error (for a good review, check out this article).
In the Literature - Here is a link to a recent study in PNAS that is referred to in the news article.
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