As shown in Fig. 7f, the extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) and c-jun n-terminal kinase (JNK) pathways were activated in BV2 cells after infection with Nocardia. In addition, these signaling molecules were also phosphorylated in the striatum of mouse brains infected with Nocardia. These results indicated that Nocardia-induced neurological behavioral disorder by activating microglia through the MAPK signaling pathway. This evidence concerns the gene MAPK8 and infection.