TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Abstract 2. Introduction 3. NF-κB controls IL-2 gene expression 4. NF-κB and the IL-2 receptor 5. NF-κB and apoptosis 6. A dual role for NF-κB gene family members in programmed cell death 7. Role of NF-κB in IL-2-triggered T cell responses 8. Concluding remarks 9. References
ABSTRACTThe NF-κB/Rel/IκB family of transcription factors regulates a number of genes involved in a wide variety of biological processes. The activation of p53, c-myc and Ras genes suggests a role for NF-κB in cell proliferation; NF-κB is also important in immune and inflammatory responses. By virtue of its role in apoptosis, NF-κB participates in the thymus as well as in embryonic development. The NF-κB family of transcription factors is also involved in viral transcription, transformation and in the development of some types of human cancers. Given the pivotal role of NF-κB, clarification is needed of the mechanisms through which its deregulation contributes to disease. Several aspects of NF-κB regulation, such as phosphatase involvement, the mechanism of IκB ubiquitination and the regulation of nuclear translocation, remain obscure. Here, we review and discuss the function of NF-κB activation in IL-2-stimulation and in apoptosis induced by IL-2 deprivation in T cells.