Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) has recently been shown to participate in the induction of nuclear factor B (NFB)-dependent gene expression by the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) receptor Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4). In this study we have examined the mechanism whereby Btk participates in this response. Treatment of the murine monocytic cell line Raw264.7 with LFM-A13, a specific Btk inhibitor, blocked LPS-induced NFB-dependent reporter gene expression but not IB␣ degradation. Transient transfection of HEK293 cells with Btk had no effect on NFB-dependent reporter gene expression but strongly promoted transactivation of a reporter gene by a p65-Gal4 fusion protein. IB␣ degradation activated by LPS was intact in macrophages from X-linked immunodeficiency (Xid) mice, which contain inactive Btk. Transfection of cells with a dominant negative form of Btk (BtkK430R) inhibited LPS-driven p65 mediated transactivation. Additionally LFM-A13 impaired phosphorylation of serine 536 on p65 induced by LPS in HEK293-TLR4 cells, and in Xid macrophages this response was impaired. This study therefore reveals a novel function for Btk. It is required for the signaling pathway activated by TLR4, which culminates in phosphorylation of p65 on serine 536 promoting transactivation by NFB.Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) 1 is a member of the Tec family of non-receptor tyrosine kinases and is found in all cells of the hematopoietic lineage except plasma cells and T-cells (1). In B-cells, activation of the B-cell receptor leads to Btk being rapidly recruited to the plasma membrane where it becomes phosphorylated and activated. Btk is required for normal B-cell development (2) and the gene encoding Btk was first identified as the mutated gene in X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) in humans, an immune disease characterized by a lack of circulating B lymphocytes and an absence of Igs of all classes (3). Mutations in the Btk gene also result in the less severe Xlinked immunodeficiency (Xid) in mice. Various mutations have been identified as being responsible for the XLA phenotype, whereas the mutation in Xid mice has been mapped to arginine 28 (R28C) in the PH domain (4). This prevents Btk associating with the membrane, thus inactivating it. The PH domain is important in the process of Btk activation, since it localizes Btk to the membrane through its interaction with phosphatidylinositol triphosphate (PIP 3 ), which is generated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K).Due to the major phenotype of Btk deficiency being impaired B-cell development and function, the main focus of interest in Btk has centered around the B-cell. However, several studies have provided a more general role for Btk in immune regulation. Studies in Xid peritoneal macrophages have shown reduced responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, with tumor necrosis factor ␣ (TNF␣) and IL-1 production decreased and macrophage effector functions impaired (5). We have shown that Btk is recruited to the LPS receptor Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) where it is activated and is required f...