Cells respond rapidly to changes in their internal and external environments, often by using post-translational protein modifications to transmit signals from the cell surface or internal sites to the nucleus. These signaling pathways allow cells to respond to growth signals, tolerate stresses or trigger programmed cell death. In general, signaling pathway activation is transient, with feedback...

A low-grade pro-inflammatory state is at the pathogenic core of obesity and type 2 diabetes. We tested the hypothesis that the plant terpenoid compound ginsenoside Rb1 (Rb1), known to exert anti-inflammatory effects, would ameliorate obesity, obesity-associated inflammation and glucose intolerance in the high-fat diet-induced obese mouse model. Furthermore, we examined the effect of Rb1 treatme...

The IKK [inhibitor of NF-κB (nuclear factor κB) kinase] complex has an essential role in the activation of the family of NF-κB transcription factors in response to a variety of stimuli. To identify novel IKK-interacting proteins, we performed an unbiased proteomics screen where we identified TfR1 (transferrin receptor 1). TfR1 is required for transferrin binding and internalization and ultimate...

Central to NF-κB signaling pathways is IKKγ/NEMO, a regulatory subunit of the cytoplasmic IκB kinase (IKK) complex, which undergoes various posttranslational modifications, specifically phosphorylation, to regulate its function. Furthermore, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) FADD-like interleukin-1β (IL-1β) converting enzyme (FLICE) inhibitory protein (vFLIP) activates the NF-κB si...

Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is a key transcription factor in inflammatory immune responses and cell survival. Multiple types of ubiquitination play critical roles in the activation of NF-κB signaling, yet the molecular mechanisms responsible for their reversible deubiquitination are still poorly understood. In this study, we identified a member of the deubiquitinases family, ubiquitin-specific pr...

The present study was aimed at determining the consequences of the disruption of guanylyl cyclase/natriuretic peptide receptor-A (GC-A/NPRA) gene (Npr1) on proinflammatory responses of nuclear factor kappa B, inhibitory kappa B kinase, and inhibitory kappa B alpha (NF-κB, IKK, IκBα) in the kidneys of mutant mice. The results showed that the disruption of Npr1 enhanced the renal NF-κB binding ac...

NF-κB activation depends on the IKK complex consisting of the catalytically active IKK1 and 2 subunits and the scaffold protein NEMO. Hitherto, IKK2 activation has always been associated with IκBα degradation, NF-κB activation, and cytokine production. In contrast, we found that in SCF-stimulated primary bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs), IKK2 is alternatively activated. Mechanistically, a...

OBJECTIVES Fuzheng Huayu recipe (FZHY) exerts significant protective effects against liver fibrosis by strengthening the body's resistance and removing blood stasis. However, the molecular mechanisms through which FZHY affects liver fibrosis are still unclear. In this study, we examined the expression levels of factors involved in the inhibitor κB kinase-β (IKK-β)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and ...

(E)-3-(3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-(2-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one (DPP23) is a synthetic polyphenol derivative that selectively induces apoptosis in cancer cells through the unfolded protein response pathway. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of DPP23 on tumour invasion and metastasis. Here, we show that DPP23 inhibited tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα)-induced motility, F-actin form...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The transcription factor NF-κB orchestrates many pro-inflammatory signals and its inhibition is considered a promising strategy to combat inflammation. Here we report the characterization of the natural product plumericin as a highly potent inhibitor of the NF-κB pathway with a novel chemical scaffold, which was isolated via a bioactivity-guided approach, from extracts of...