NFAT and NF-κB factors—the distant relatives

NFAT and NF-κB proteins are members of a superfamily of transcription factors whose activity plays a crucial role in the activation, proliferation and apoptosis of lymphocytes. Both types of factors share a number of properties, including similar DNA binding domains and rapid nuclear translocation u...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The international journal of biochemistry & cell biology 2004-07, Vol.36 (7), p.1166-1170
Main Authors: Serfling, Edgar, Berberich-Siebelt, Friederike, Avots, Andris, Chuvpilo, Sergei, Klein-Hessling, Stefan, Jha, Mithilesh Kumar, Kondo, Eizaku, Pagel, Philipp, Schulze-Luehrmann, Jan, Palmetshofer, Alois
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Apoptosis
Evolution
Immunity
NF-κB
NFAT
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Summary:NFAT and NF-κB proteins are members of a superfamily of transcription factors whose activity plays a crucial role in the activation, proliferation and apoptosis of lymphocytes. Both types of factors share a number of properties, including similar DNA binding domains and rapid nuclear translocation upon antigenic stimulation. While NF-κBs control both innate and adaptive immune responses, NFATs control the adaptive immune system which emerged—in parallel with the appearance of the NFAT family—in jawed fish. However, NFATs and NF-κBs differ remarkably in their function. Whereas NFATs support activation-induced cell death (AICD) of T and B cells, NF-κB proteins frequently exert a strong anti-apoptotic effect on lymphocytes and other cells. While the anti-apoptotic activity of NF-κBs contributes to their oncogenic capacity, the pro-apoptotic activity favors NFATs as tumor suppressors in lymphoid cells.
ISSN:1357-2725
1878-5875
DOI:10.1016/j.biocel.2003.07.002