title: IKK alpha on center stage.
abstract: Inhibitor of kappaB kinase alpha (IKK alpha) was originally identified as a component of a multiprotein kinase complex that regulates the activity of the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) through phosphorylation of its inhibitor proteins, the IkappaBs. DiDonato discusses new roles that have been discovered for IKK alpha, focusing especially on its role in epidermal differentiation and on a new function of IKK alpha in B cell maturation. In epidermal differentiation, IKK alpha regulates the production of a secreted differentiation factor through a pathway that is independent of its role in activation of NF-kappaB. In B cell maturation, conventional NF-kappaB signal-induced activation of IKK alpha results in phosphorylation of p100 precursor proteins and increased proteolytic processing and constitutive NF-kappaB activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Biology, The Lerner Research Institute at The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. didonaj@ccf.org
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: DiDonato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D016328:NF-kappa B; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; C496559:CHUK protein, human; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase; C496560:IKBKB protein, human; C496565:IKBKE protein, human