title: Analysis of domains in the IKKalpha and IKKbeta proteins that regulate their kinase activity.
abstract: The IkappaB kinases IKKalpha and IKKbeta are critical in activating the NF-kappaB pathway. Although these proteins have a similar structure that includes kinase, leucine zipper, and helix-loop-helix domains, they exhibit marked differences in their kinase activity and functional properties. For example, IKKbeta has a 10-20-fold higher level of kinase activity for IkappaBalpha than does IKKalpha. Furthermore, disruption of the murine IKKbeta gene, but not the IKKalpha gene, results in severe defects in activating the NF-kappaB pathway. Mice lacking IKKbeta succumb to severe hepatic apoptosis because of failure to activate the NF-kappaB pathway, whereas mice deficient in IKKalpha exhibit skin and skeletal abnormalities and an embryonic lethal phenotype. To better characterize differences in the functional properties of these kinases, hybrid IKK proteins were constructed by domain swapping, and their kinase activity was assayed. These studies demonstrated that differences in the IKKalpha and IKKbeta helix-loop-helix domains are primarily responsible for differences in their kinase activity. In contrast, their kinase and leucine zipper domains exhibited relatively conserved function. These studies further define the properties of IKKalpha and IKKbeta, which are involved in their unique regulatory roles.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Harold Simmons Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75235-8594, USA.
authors.forename: Y T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Gaynor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology; D001241:Aspirin / Q000494:pharmacology; D001483:Base Sequence; D019556:COS Cells; D017931:DNA Primers; D019281:Dimerization; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D018257:Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase; D051379:Mice; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013467:Sulindac / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D017931:DNA Primers; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D016328:NF-kappa B; D013467:Sulindac; C025462:sulindac sulfide; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; C496564:Chuk protein, mouse; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase; C496562:Ikbkb protein, mouse; C496566:Ikbke protein, mouse; D001241:Aspirin