摘要
The proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) regulates immune responses, inflammation and programmed cell death. The ultimate fate of a cell exposed to TNF-αis determined by signal integration between its downstream effectors, including caspases, IKB kianse (IKK) and c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK). However, the molecular mechanisms are incompletely understood. We investigated this issue using genetic and biochemical approaches. We identified IKK β, a catalytic subunit of the IKK complex that is required for NF-KB activation and cell survival in response to TNF-α, was proteolyzed by casp-3-related caspases. This proteolysis eliminated IKK activity and promoted TNF-α, killing.
