Dying for NF-kappaB? Control of cell death by transcriptional regulation of the apoptotic machinery.
The transcription factor nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) is a pleiotropic protein complex that is activated from a sequestered, cytoplasmic form by pro-inflammatory extracellular signals and cellular stress. Several hundred cellular genes have been shown to be regulated by NF-kappaB, including cytokines, chemokines and adhesion molecules. Nearly eight years ago, a flurry of publications showed that loss or suppression of NF-kappaB results in an enhanced sensitivity to apoptosis. In the ensuing years, activation of NF-kappaB has become almost synonymous with enhanced cell survival, although more recent data suggests that this transcription factor plays a more complex role in the regulation of cell death.
Burstein
Ezra
E
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor 48109-0602, USA.
Duckett
Colin S
CS
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002470:Cell Survival; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D016328:NF-kappa B