MAPK8 and cancer: In cancer cells under starvation, C-Jun N-terminal protein kinase 1 (JNK1) becomes activated and phosphorylates Bcl-2, disrupting the Bcl-2/Beclin-1 complex and promoting autophagy due to the activation of core autophagic components by isolated Beclin-1 as a response for cell protection (47, 53) (Figure 3B).