Recently, autophagy has emerged as a critical process in the control of T-cell homeostasis. Given the pivotal role of NF-B in the signaling events of T cells, we have analyzed and unveiled a conserved NF-B binding site in the promoter of the murine and human BECN1 autophagic gene (Atg6). Accordingly, we demonstrate that the NF-B family member p65/RelA upregulates BECN1 mRNA and protein levels in different cellular systems. Moreover, p65-mediated upregulation of BECN1 is coupled to increased autophagy. The newly identified B site in the BECN1 promoter specifically interacts with p65 both in vitro and in living Jurkat cells upon phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-ionomycin stimulation, where p65 induction is coupled to BECN1 upregulation and autophagy induction. Finally, anti-CD3-and PMA-ionomycin-mediated activation of T-cell receptor signaling in peripheral T cells from lymph nodes of healthy mice results in an upregulation of BECN1 expression that can be blocked by the NF-B inhibitor BAY 11-7082. Altogether, these data suggest that autophagy could represent a novel route modulated by p65 to regulate cell survival and control T-cell homeostasis.Normal cellular development and growth depend on a finely tuned balance between protein synthesis and degradation. Eukaryotic cells exploit two major routes for protein degradation: autophagy and the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Autophagy is a highly conserved catabolic process whereby long-lived proteins and organelles are engulfed in double-membrane structures called autophagosomes and targeted to the lysosome for degradation and ATP production (33). Autophagy was first characterized in yeast as a process used by cells to survive metabolic stress (59). Many of the autophagic executor genes (ATGs) have been discovered in yeast, and recently a number of mammalian orthologues have been identified. At the molecular level, the autophagic pathway is well conserved and requires several proteins acting in concert at different stages for proper autophagosome formation. During the first steps of autophagosome formation, BECN1/Atg6 acts in association with PI3KIII/Vps34 as a platform that recruits activators and inhibitors of autophagy in order to finely regulate autophagosome formation (43). Two ubiquitin-like systems are fundamental for autophagosome enlargement and maturation downstream of BECN1. A first ubiquitin-like system is required for the formation of the Atg5-Atg12 complex, which contributes to autophagosomal membrane elongation (30, 39). The second ubiquitin-like system conjugates LC3 protein to phosphoethanolamine, allowing its incorporation into the autophagosomal membrane and subsequent autophagosome formation (56).In mammalian cells, metabolic stress and genotoxic stimuli, including ceramide and tamoxifen treatment, have been shown to trigger both apoptotic cell death and autophagy (51). A number of emerging pieces of evidence point to a prosurvival role for autophagy. Inactivation of the essential autophagy gene BECN1 results in apoptotic cell death in different mode...