Skip to main content
The EMBO Journal logoLink to The EMBO Journal
. 1994 Oct 3;13(19):4608–4616. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1994.tb06782.x

Differential interactions of Rel-NF-kappa B complexes with I kappa B alpha determine pools of constitutive and inducible NF-kappa B activity.

P Dobrzanski 1, R P Ryseck 1, R Bravo 1
PMCID: PMC395393  PMID: 7925301

Abstract

The Rel-NF-kappa B family of transcription factors plays a crucial role in the regulation of genes involved in inflammatory and immune responses. We demonstrate that in vivo, in contrast to the other members of the family, RelB associates efficiently only with NF-kappa B1 (p105-p50) and NF-kappa B2 (p100-p52), but not with cRel or p65. The RelB-p52 heterodimers display a much lower affinity for I kappa B alpha than RelB-p50 heterodimers or p65 complexes. However, similarly to the other Rel-NF-kappa B complexes, RelB-p52 can upregulate the synthesis of I kappa B alpha leading to the cytoplasmic trapping of dimers which have a higher affinity for the inhibitor. We suggest that a hierarchy of interactions between I kappa B alpha and the different Rel-NF-kappa B complexes governs their cellular distribution. This results in the presence of two distinct pools of NF-kappa B activity which differ in their composition: one a constitutive nuclear and the other an inducible cytoplasmic activity.

Full text

PDF
4608

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Baeuerle P. A. The inducible transcription activator NF-kappa B: regulation by distinct protein subunits. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1991 Apr 16;1072(1):63–80. doi: 10.1016/0304-419x(91)90007-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Ballard D. W., Walker W. H., Doerre S., Sista P., Molitor J. A., Dixon E. P., Peffer N. J., Hannink M., Greene W. C. The v-rel oncogene encodes a kappa B enhancer binding protein that inhibits NF-kappa B function. Cell. 1990 Nov 16;63(4):803–814. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90146-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Beg A. A., Baldwin A. S., Jr The I kappa B proteins: multifunctional regulators of Rel/NF-kappa B transcription factors. Genes Dev. 1993 Nov;7(11):2064–2070. doi: 10.1101/gad.7.11.2064. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Beg A. A., Finco T. S., Nantermet P. V., Baldwin A. S., Jr Tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1 lead to phosphorylation and loss of I kappa B alpha: a mechanism for NF-kappa B activation. Mol Cell Biol. 1993 Jun;13(6):3301–3310. doi: 10.1128/mcb.13.6.3301. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Blank V., Kourilsky P., Israël A. NF-kappa B and related proteins: Rel/dorsal homologies meet ankyrin-like repeats. Trends Biochem Sci. 1992 Apr;17(4):135–140. doi: 10.1016/0968-0004(92)90321-y. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bose H. R., Jr The Rel family: models for transcriptional regulation and oncogenic transformation. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1992 Sep 14;1114(1):1–17. doi: 10.1016/0304-419x(92)90002-g. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Brown K., Park S., Kanno T., Franzoso G., Siebenlist U. Mutual regulation of the transcriptional activator NF-kappa B and its inhibitor, I kappa B-alpha. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993 Mar 15;90(6):2532–2536. doi: 10.1073/pnas.90.6.2532. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Carrasco D., Ryseck R. P., Bravo R. Expression of relB transcripts during lymphoid organ development: specific expression in dendritic antigen-presenting cells. Development. 1993 Aug;118(4):1221–1231. doi: 10.1242/dev.118.4.1221. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Chiao P. J., Miyamoto S., Verma I. M. Autoregulation of I kappa B alpha activity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1994 Jan 4;91(1):28–32. doi: 10.1073/pnas.91.1.28. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Cordle S. R., Donald R., Read M. A., Hawiger J. Lipopolysaccharide induces phosphorylation of MAD3 and activation of c-Rel and related NF-kappa B proteins in human monocytic THP-1 cells. J Biol Chem. 1993 Jun 5;268(16):11803–11810. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Devary Y., Rosette C., DiDonato J. A., Karin M. NF-kappa B activation by ultraviolet light not dependent on a nuclear signal. Science. 1993 Sep 10;261(5127):1442–1445. doi: 10.1126/science.8367725. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Diaz-Meco M. T., Berra E., Municio M. M., Sanz L., Lozano J., Dominguez I., Diaz-Golpe V., Lain de Lera M. T., Alcamí J., Payá C. V. A dominant negative protein kinase C zeta subspecies blocks NF-kappa B activation. Mol Cell Biol. 1993 Aug;13(8):4770–4775. doi: 10.1128/mcb.13.8.4770. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Dobrzanski P., Ryseck R. P., Bravo R. Both N- and C-terminal domains of RelB are required for full transactivation: role of the N-terminal leucine zipper-like motif. Mol Cell Biol. 1993 Mar;13(3):1572–1582. doi: 10.1128/mcb.13.3.1572. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Evans R. M. The steroid and thyroid hormone receptor superfamily. Science. 1988 May 13;240(4854):889–895. doi: 10.1126/science.3283939. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Finco T. S., Baldwin A. S., Jr Kappa B site-dependent induction of gene expression by diverse inducers of nuclear factor kappa B requires Raf-1. J Biol Chem. 1993 Aug 25;268(24):17676–17679. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Frantz B., Nordby E. C., Bren G., Steffan N., Paya C. V., Kincaid R. L., Tocci M. J., O'Keefe S. J., O'Neill E. A. Calcineurin acts in synergy with PMA to inactivate I kappa B/MAD3, an inhibitor of NF-kappa B. EMBO J. 1994 Feb 15;13(4):861–870. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1994.tb06329.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Franzoso G., Bours V., Park S., Tomita-Yamaguchi M., Kelly K., Siebenlist U. The candidate oncoprotein Bcl-3 is an antagonist of p50/NF-kappa B-mediated inhibition. Nature. 1992 Sep 24;359(6393):339–342. doi: 10.1038/359339a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Fujita T., Nolan G. P., Ghosh S., Baltimore D. Independent modes of transcriptional activation by the p50 and p65 subunits of NF-kappa B. Genes Dev. 1992 May;6(5):775–787. doi: 10.1101/gad.6.5.775. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Ganchi P. A., Sun S. C., Greene W. C., Ballard D. W. I kappa B/MAD-3 masks the nuclear localization signal of NF-kappa B p65 and requires the transactivation domain to inhibit NF-kappa B p65 DNA binding. Mol Biol Cell. 1992 Dec;3(12):1339–1352. doi: 10.1091/mbc.3.12.1339. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Gilmore T. D., Morin P. J. The I kappa B proteins: members of a multifunctional family. Trends Genet. 1993 Dec;9(12):427–433. doi: 10.1016/0168-9525(93)90106-r. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Gilmore T. D. Role of rel family genes in normal and malignant lymphoid cell growth. Cancer Surv. 1992;15:69–87. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Gorman C. M., Moffat L. F., Howard B. H. Recombinant genomes which express chloramphenicol acetyltransferase in mammalian cells. Mol Cell Biol. 1982 Sep;2(9):1044–1051. doi: 10.1128/mcb.2.9.1044. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Green S., Chambon P. Nuclear receptors enhance our understanding of transcription regulation. Trends Genet. 1988 Nov;4(11):309–314. doi: 10.1016/0168-9525(88)90108-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Grilli M., Chiu J. J., Lenardo M. J. NF-kappa B and Rel: participants in a multiform transcriptional regulatory system. Int Rev Cytol. 1993;143:1–62. doi: 10.1016/s0074-7696(08)61873-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Grimm S., Baeuerle P. A. The inducible transcription factor NF-kappa B: structure-function relationship of its protein subunits. Biochem J. 1993 Mar 1;290(Pt 2):297–308. doi: 10.1042/bj2900297. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Hansen S. K., Baeuerle P. A., Blasi F. Purification, reconstitution, and I kappa B association of the c-Rel-p65 (RelA) complex, a strong activator of transcription. Mol Cell Biol. 1994 Apr;14(4):2593–2603. doi: 10.1128/mcb.14.4.2593. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Hansen S. K., Nerlov C., Zabel U., Verde P., Johnsen M., Baeuerle P. A., Blasi F. A novel complex between the p65 subunit of NF-kappa B and c-Rel binds to a DNA element involved in the phorbol ester induction of the human urokinase gene. EMBO J. 1992 Jan;11(1):205–213. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1992.tb05043.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Hatada E. N., Nieters A., Wulczyn F. G., Naumann M., Meyer R., Nucifora G., McKeithan T. W., Scheidereit C. The ankyrin repeat domains of the NF-kappa B precursor p105 and the protooncogene bcl-3 act as specific inhibitors of NF-kappa B DNA binding. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Mar 15;89(6):2489–2493. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.6.2489. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Henkel T., Machleidt T., Alkalay I., Krönke M., Ben-Neriah Y., Baeuerle P. A. Rapid proteolysis of I kappa B-alpha is necessary for activation of transcription factor NF-kappa B. Nature. 1993 Sep 9;365(6442):182–185. doi: 10.1038/365182a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Hunter T., Karin M. The regulation of transcription by phosphorylation. Cell. 1992 Aug 7;70(3):375–387. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(92)90162-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Inoue J., Kerr L. D., Kakizuka A., Verma I. M. I kappa B gamma, a 70 kd protein identical to the C-terminal half of p110 NF-kappa B: a new member of the I kappa B family. Cell. 1992 Mar 20;68(6):1109–1120. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(92)90082-n. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Kerr L. D., Inoue J., Davis N., Link E., Baeuerle P. A., Bose H. R., Jr, Verma I. M. The rel-associated pp40 protein prevents DNA binding of Rel and NF-kappa B: relationship with I kappa B beta and regulation by phosphorylation. Genes Dev. 1991 Aug;5(8):1464–1476. doi: 10.1101/gad.5.8.1464. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Kieran M., Blank V., Logeat F., Vandekerckhove J., Lottspeich F., Le Bail O., Urban M. B., Kourilsky P., Baeuerle P. A., Israël A. The DNA binding subunit of NF-kappa B is identical to factor KBF1 and homologous to the rel oncogene product. Cell. 1990 Sep 7;62(5):1007–1018. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90275-j. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Kovary K., Bravo R. Expression of different Jun and Fos proteins during the G0-to-G1 transition in mouse fibroblasts: in vitro and in vivo associations. Mol Cell Biol. 1991 May;11(5):2451–2459. doi: 10.1128/mcb.11.5.2451. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Kretzschmar M., Meisterernst M., Scheidereit C., Li G., Roeder R. G. Transcriptional regulation of the HIV-1 promoter by NF-kappa B in vitro. Genes Dev. 1992 May;6(5):761–774. doi: 10.1101/gad.6.5.761. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Kunsch C., Rosen C. A. NF-kappa B subunit-specific regulation of the interleukin-8 promoter. Mol Cell Biol. 1993 Oct;13(10):6137–6146. doi: 10.1128/mcb.13.10.6137. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Kunsch C., Ruben S. M., Rosen C. A. Selection of optimal kappa B/Rel DNA-binding motifs: interaction of both subunits of NF-kappa B with DNA is required for transcriptional activation. Mol Cell Biol. 1992 Oct;12(10):4412–4421. doi: 10.1128/mcb.12.10.4412. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Lernbecher T., Müller U., Wirth T. Distinct NF-kappa B/Rel transcription factors are responsible for tissue-specific and inducible gene activation. Nature. 1993 Oct 21;365(6448):767–770. doi: 10.1038/365767a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Liou H. C., Baltimore D. Regulation of the NF-kappa B/rel transcription factor and I kappa B inhibitor system. Curr Opin Cell Biol. 1993 Jun;5(3):477–487. doi: 10.1016/0955-0674(93)90014-h. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Liou H. C., Nolan G. P., Ghosh S., Fujita T., Baltimore D. The NF-kappa B p50 precursor, p105, contains an internal I kappa B-like inhibitor that preferentially inhibits p50. EMBO J. 1992 Aug;11(8):3003–3009. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1992.tb05370.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Martin-Zanca D., Oskam R., Mitra G., Copeland T., Barbacid M. Molecular and biochemical characterization of the human trk proto-oncogene. Mol Cell Biol. 1989 Jan;9(1):24–33. doi: 10.1128/mcb.9.1.24. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Mercurio F., DiDonato J. A., Rosette C., Karin M. p105 and p98 precursor proteins play an active role in NF-kappa B-mediated signal transduction. Genes Dev. 1993 Apr;7(4):705–718. doi: 10.1101/gad.7.4.705. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Nakayama K., Shimizu H., Mitomo K., Watanabe T., Okamoto S., Yamamoto K. A lymphoid cell-specific nuclear factor containing c-Rel-like proteins preferentially interacts with interleukin-6 kappa B-related motifs whose activities are repressed in lymphoid cells. Mol Cell Biol. 1992 Apr;12(4):1736–1746. doi: 10.1128/mcb.12.4.1736. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  44. Narayanan R., Higgins K. A., Perez J. R., Coleman T. A., Rosen C. A. Evidence for differential functions of the p50 and p65 subunits of NF-kappa B with a cell adhesion model. Mol Cell Biol. 1993 Jun;13(6):3802–3810. doi: 10.1128/mcb.13.6.3802. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  45. Naumann M., Wulczyn F. G., Scheidereit C. The NF-kappa B precursor p105 and the proto-oncogene product Bcl-3 are I kappa B molecules and control nuclear translocation of NF-kappa B. EMBO J. 1993 Jan;12(1):213–222. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1993.tb05647.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  46. Nolan G. P., Baltimore D. The inhibitory ankyrin and activator Rel proteins. Curr Opin Genet Dev. 1992 Apr;2(2):211–220. doi: 10.1016/s0959-437x(05)80276-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  47. Nolan G. P., Fujita T., Bhatia K., Huppi C., Liou H. C., Scott M. L., Baltimore D. The bcl-3 proto-oncogene encodes a nuclear I kappa B-like molecule that preferentially interacts with NF-kappa B p50 and p52 in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. Mol Cell Biol. 1993 Jun;13(6):3557–3566. doi: 10.1128/mcb.13.6.3557. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  48. Ohno H., Takimoto G., McKeithan T. W. The candidate proto-oncogene bcl-3 is related to genes implicated in cell lineage determination and cell cycle control. Cell. 1990 Mar 23;60(6):991–997. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90347-h. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  49. Rice N. R., Ernst M. K. In vivo control of NF-kappa B activation by I kappa B alpha. EMBO J. 1993 Dec;12(12):4685–4695. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1993.tb06157.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  50. Rice N. R., MacKichan M. L., Israël A. The precursor of NF-kappa B p50 has I kappa B-like functions. Cell. 1992 Oct 16;71(2):243–253. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(92)90353-e. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  51. Ryseck R. P., Bull P., Takamiya M., Bours V., Siebenlist U., Dobrzanski P., Bravo R. RelB, a new Rel family transcription activator that can interact with p50-NF-kappa B. Mol Cell Biol. 1992 Feb;12(2):674–684. doi: 10.1128/mcb.12.2.674. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  52. Scheinman R. I., Beg A. A., Baldwin A. S., Jr NF-kappa B p100 (Lyt-10) is a component of H2TF1 and can function as an I kappa B-like molecule. Mol Cell Biol. 1993 Oct;13(10):6089–6101. doi: 10.1128/mcb.13.10.6089. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  53. Schmid R. M., Perkins N. D., Duckett C. S., Andrews P. C., Nabel G. J. Cloning of an NF-kappa B subunit which stimulates HIV transcription in synergy with p65. Nature. 1991 Aug 22;352(6337):733–736. doi: 10.1038/352733a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  54. Scott M. L., Fujita T., Liou H. C., Nolan G. P., Baltimore D. The p65 subunit of NF-kappa B regulates I kappa B by two distinct mechanisms. Genes Dev. 1993 Jul;7(7A):1266–1276. doi: 10.1101/gad.7.7a.1266. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  55. Seed B., Aruffo A. Molecular cloning of the CD2 antigen, the T-cell erythrocyte receptor, by a rapid immunoselection procedure. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 May;84(10):3365–3369. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.10.3365. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  56. Shu H. B., Agranoff A. B., Nabel E. G., Leung K., Duckett C. S., Neish A. S., Collins T., Nabel G. J. Differential regulation of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 gene expression by specific NF-kappa B subunits in endothelial and epithelial cells. Mol Cell Biol. 1993 Oct;13(10):6283–6289. doi: 10.1128/mcb.13.10.6283. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  57. Sica A., Tan T. H., Rice N., Kretzschmar M., Ghosh P., Young H. A. The c-rel protooncogene product c-Rel but not NF-kappa B binds to the intronic region of the human interferon-gamma gene at a site related to an interferon-stimulable response element. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Mar 1;89(5):1740–1744. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.5.1740. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  58. Sun S. C., Ganchi P. A., Ballard D. W., Greene W. C. NF-kappa B controls expression of inhibitor I kappa B alpha: evidence for an inducible autoregulatory pathway. Science. 1993 Mar 26;259(5103):1912–1915. doi: 10.1126/science.8096091. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  59. Sun S. C., Ganchi P. A., Béraud C., Ballard D. W., Greene W. C. Autoregulation of the NF-kappa B transactivator RelA (p65) by multiple cytoplasmic inhibitors containing ankyrin motifs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1994 Feb 15;91(4):1346–1350. doi: 10.1073/pnas.91.4.1346. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  60. Tan T. H., Huang G. P., Sica A., Ghosh P., Young H. A., Longo D. L., Rice N. R. Kappa B site-dependent activation of the interleukin-2 receptor alpha-chain gene promoter by human c-Rel. Mol Cell Biol. 1992 Sep;12(9):4067–4075. doi: 10.1128/mcb.12.9.4067. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  61. Tewari M., Dobrzanski P., Mohn K. L., Cressman D. E., Hsu J. C., Bravo R., Taub R. Rapid induction in regenerating liver of RL/IF-1 (an I kappa B that inhibits NF-kappa B, RelB-p50, and c-Rel-p50) and PHF, a novel kappa B site-binding complex. Mol Cell Biol. 1992 Jun;12(6):2898–2908. doi: 10.1128/mcb.12.6.2898. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  62. de Martin R., Vanhove B., Cheng Q., Hofer E., Csizmadia V., Winkler H., Bach F. H. Cytokine-inducible expression in endothelial cells of an I kappa B alpha-like gene is regulated by NF kappa B. EMBO J. 1993 Jul;12(7):2773–2779. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1993.tb05938.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The EMBO Journal are provided here courtesy of Nature Publishing Group

RESOURCES