The nuclear factor kB, a transcription factor regulating the expression of multiple genes including genes essential for cell cycle control, is found in most cells in a dormant state in the cytoplasm bound to the inhibitory family IkB via an ankyrin repeat domain. Stimulation of cells with a variety of inducers inactivates IkB proteins. The active dimeric NF-kB complex, often composed of 50-and 65-kilodalton subunits of the Rel family, translocates into the nucleus, where the NF-kBp65 subunit stimulates transcription. Here we report that a family of proteins containing ankyrin repeats, the inhibitors of Cdk4 (INK4) is able to bind NF-kBp65. The association of p16INK4 with NF-kBp65 is considerable in HeLa-or 293 cells, if the NF-kB inhibitor IkBa is degraded in response to TNFa stimulation. Overexpression of INK4 molecules suppresses the transactivational ability of NFkB signi®cantly. In contrast to INK4 proteins, the cell cycle inhibitor p27 enhances NF-kB transactivation activity. Thus, the e ect of INK4 proteins on NF-kB function possibly modi®es NF-kB mediated transcriptional activation of cell cycle associated factors.
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