At high concentrations, free radicals and radical-derived, nonradical reactive species are hazardous for living organisms and damage all major cellular constituents. At moderate concentrations, how...

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Free Radicals in the Physiological Control of Cell Function

Signal transduction is initiated by complex protein-protein interactions between ligands, receptors and kinases, to name only a few. It is now becoming clear that lipid micro-environments on the cell surface -- known as lipid rafts -- also take part in this process. Lipid rafts containing a given set of proteins can change their size and composition in response to intra- or extracellular stimuli. This favours specific protein-protein interactions, resulting in the activation of signalling cascades.

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Lipid rafts and signal transduction

▪ Abstract The transcription factor NF-κB has attracted widespread attention among researchers in many fields based on the following: its unusual and rapid regulation, the wide range of genes that it controls, its central role in immunological processes, the complexity of its subunits, and its apparent involvement in several diseases. A primary level of control for NF-κB is through interactions with an inhibitor protein called IκB. Recent evidence confirms the existence of multiple forms of IκB that appear to regulate NF-κB by distinct mechanisms. NF-κB can be activated by exposure of cells to LPS or inflammatory cytokines such as TNF or IL-1, viral infection or expression of certain viral gene products, UV irradiation, B or T cell activation, and by other physiological and nonphysiological stimuli. Activation of NF-κB to move into the nucleus is controlled by the targeted phosphorylation and subsequent degradation of IκB. Exciting new research has elaborated several important and unexpected findings that...

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THE NF-κB AND IκB PROTEINS: New Discoveries and Insights

▪ Abstract The transcription factor NF-κB, more than a decade after its discovery, remains an exciting and active area of study. The involvement of NF-κB in the expression of numerous cytokines and adhesion molecules has supported its role as an evolutionarily conserved coordinating element in the organism's response to situations of infection, stress, and injury. Recently, significant advances have been made in elucidating the details of the pathways through which signals are transmitted to the NF-κB:IκB complex in the cytosol. The field now awaits the discovery and characterization of the kinase responsible for the inducible phosphorylation of IκB proteins. Another exciting development has been the demonstration that in certain situations NF-κB acts as an anti-apoptotic protein; therefore, elucidation of the mechanism by which NF-κB protects against cell death is an important goal. Finally, the generation of knockouts of members of the NF-κB/IκB family has allowed the study of the roles of these protein...

NF-kappa B and Rel proteins: evolutionarily conserved mediators of immune responses

Many cells are resistant to stimuli that can induce apoptosis, but the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. The activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) by tumor necrosis factor (TNF), ionizing radiation, or daunorubicin (a cancer chemotherapeutic compound), was found to protect from cell killing. Inhibition of NF-kappaB nuclear translocation enhanced apoptotic killing by these reagents but not by apoptotic stimuli that do not activate NF-kappaB. These results provide a mechanism of cellular resistance to killing by some apoptotic reagents, offer insight into a new role for NF-kappaB, and have potential for improvement of the efficacy of cancer therapies.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/274/5288/784.full.pdf

TNF- and Cancer Therapy-Induced Apoptosis: Potentiation by Inhibition of NF-κB

Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) is a critical regulator of several genes which are involved in immune and inflammation responses. NF-kappa B, consisting of a 50-kDa protein (p50) and a 65-kDa protein (p65), is bound to a cytoplasmic retention protein called I kappa B. Stimulation of cells with a variety of inducers, including cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1, leads to the activation and the translocation of p50/65 NF-kappa B into the nucleus. However, the in vivo mechanism of the activation process remains unknown. Here, we provide the first evidence that the in vivo mechanism of NF-kappa B activation is through the phosphorylation and subsequent loss of its inhibitor, I kappa B alpha. We also show that both I kappa B alpha loss and NF-kappa B activation are inhibited in the presence of antioxidants, demonstrating that the loss of I kappa B alpha is a prerequisite for NF-kappa B activation. Finally, we demonstrate that I kappa B alpha is rapidly resynthesized after loss, indicating that an autoregulatory mechanism is involved in the regulation of NF-kappa B function. We propose a mechanism for the activation of NF-kappa B through the modification and loss of I kappa B alpha, thereby establishing its role as a mediator of NF-kappa B activation.

Tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1 lead to phosphorylation and loss of I kappa B alpha: a mechanism for NF-kappa B activation.

LAT Is Required for TCR-Mediated Activation of PLCγ1 and the Ras Pathway

Mechanistic aspects of NF-κB regulation: The emerging role of phosphorylation and proteolysis

Oncogenic Ha-Ras-induced Signaling Activates NF-κB Transcriptional Activity, Which Is Required for Cellular Transformation

The ubiquitous transcription factor NF-kappa B is regulated by its cytoplasmic inhibitor I kappa B. A variety of cellular stimuli cause the dissociation of NF-kappa B from I kappa B, allowing NF-kappa B to translocate to the nucleus and regulate gene expression. Although the activation of NF-kappa B in vivo is associated with the phosphorylation and degradation of I kappa B alpha, it has remained unclear how each of these events contributes to this process. Recently, studies utilizing protease inhibitors have suggested that the proteolysis of I kappa B alpha is a necessary event in the activation of NF-kappa B. We demonstrate in this study that these and an additional protease inhibitor also completely repress inducible phosphorylation of I kappa B alpha. This surprising result suggests a more complex role of proteases in NF-kappa B activation. In addition, data presented here indicate that many of these inhibitors also directly modify NF-kappa B and inhibit its DNA binding activity. Due to the pleiotropic effects of these protease inhibitors, it is difficult to conclude from their use how I kappa B alpha phosphorylation and degradation contribute to NF-kappa B activation. In the present study, a more direct approach demonstrates that phosphorylation of I kappa B alpha alone is not sufficient for NF-kappa B activation.

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Timothy S. Finco

Papers

Tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1 lead to phosphorylation and loss of I kappa B alpha: a mechanism for NF-kappa B activation.

LAT Is Required for TCR-Mediated Activation of PLCγ1 and the Ras Pathway

Mechanistic aspects of NF-κB regulation: The emerging role of phosphorylation and proteolysis

Oncogenic Ha-Ras-induced Signaling Activates NF-κB Transcriptional Activity, Which Is Required for Cellular Transformation

Inducible phosphorylation of I kappa B alpha is not sufficient for its dissociation from NF-kappa B and is inhibited by protease inhibitors