Interestingly, many genes within the DRN that are altered in response to stress are involved in immune-related signaling processes including the signaling of proteins (MAPK) involved in the stimulation of proinflammatory factors, immune cell receptors (toll-like, B cell, T cell), cytokines (IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, TGF-β, TNF-α) and cytokine receptors (TGF-β1), chemokines, and regulatory pathways involved in the immune response to infection (NF-κB). Here, TNF is linked to infection.