FIGURE 1.

Discovery of NF-κB and NF-κB dimers. (A) Table summarizing the mammalian NF-κB proteins. The chromosomal locus on the human genome, the gene name and the Gene ID at NCBI of the five family members are listed. Due to the complexity of the family at both genetic and biochemical levels, these proteins have been named with various nomenclature throughout their discoveries; their former names in the literature were also indicated in the table. (B) Domain organization of class I NF-κB: NF-κB1 (p105/p50) and NF-κB2 (p100/p52). (C) Sequence alignment of the RHR of NF-κB subunits. Both human and mouse sequences of the p52 subunit are shown. Only human sequences are shown for the rest of the family members. Secondary structures and connecting loops are drawn above the sequences. The NLS is highlighted in grey. Black circles on top of the sequences indicates the missense mutations in the dimerization domain of p52, detail information is listed in Figure 5D. (D) Ribbon diagram of the p52 DD homodimer indicating the secondary structure elements and overall immunoglobulin (Ig)-like fold. Three residues interacting with ETS1 are indicated; they are located away from the dimer interface. These residues are conserved between mouse and human p52, but not present in other NF-κB subunits. (E) A unique basic segment in p52 NTD helix α2 interacts with target DNA.