The IKK and NEMO/IKK␥ subunits of the NF-B-activating signalsome complex are known to be essential for activating NF-B by inflammatory and other stresslike stimuli. However, the IKK␣ subunit is believed to be dispensable for the latter responses and instead functions as an in vivo mediator of other novel NF-B-dependent and -independent functions. In contrast to this generally accepted view of IKK␣'s physiological functions, we demonstrate in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) that, akin to IKK and NEMO/IKK␥, IKK␣ is also a global regulator of tumor necrosis factor ␣-and IL-1-responsive IKK signalsome-dependent target genes including many known NF-B targets such as serum amyloid A3, C3, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-11, IL-1 receptor antagonist, vascular endothelial growth factor, Ptx3,  2 -microglobulin, IL-1␣, Mcp-1 and -3, RANTES (regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted), Fas antigen, Jun-B, c-Fos, macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Only a small number of NF-B-dependent target genes were preferentially dependent on IKK␣ or IKK. Constitutive expression of a trans-dominant I B␣ superrepressor (I B␣SR) in wild type MEFs confirmed that these signalsome-dependent target genes were also dependent on NF-B. A subset of NF-B target genes were IKK-dependent in the absence of exogenous stimuli, suggesting that the signalsome was also required to regulate basal levels of activated NF-B in established MEFs. Overall, a sizable number of novel NF-B/IKK-dependent genes were identified including Secreted Frizzled, cadherin 13, protocadherin 7, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein- and -␦, osteoprotegerin, FOXC2 and FOXF2, BMP-2, p75 neurotrophin receptor, caspase-11, guanylate-binding proteins 1 and 2, ApoJ/clusterin, interferon (␣ and ) receptor 2, decorin, osteoglycin, epiregulin, proliferins 2 and 3, stromal cell-derived factor, and cathepsins B, F, and Z. SOCS-3, a negative effector of STAT3 signaling, was found to be an NF-B/IKK-induced gene, suggesting that IKKmediated NF-B activation can coordinately illicit negative effects on STAT signaling.The NF-B transcription factors are pivotal regulators of gene expression programs culminating in stress-like responses and the genesis of innate and acquired immunity (reviewed in Refs. 1-4). A host of extracellular stimuli including inflammatory cytokines, viral and bacterial infections, oxidative and DNA-damaging agents, UV light, and osmotic shock can all result in NF-B activation (1, 3-5). NF-B transcription factors bind to DNA as hetero-or homodimers that are selectively derived from five possible subunits (RelA/p65, c-Rel, RelB, p50, and p52) with each binding to half of a conserved 10-base pair consensus sequence (GGGRNWTYCC) (1, 5). Whereas the RelA/p65 and p50 subunits are ubiquitously expressed, the p52, c-Rel, and RelB subunits are more functionally important in specific differentiated cell types (1, 6). Cytoplasmic p50/p65 heterodimers, c-Rel homodimers, and RelB are bound to I Bs (inhibitors of NF-B...