Nuclear factor-B (NF-B)-based signaling regulates diverse biological processes, and its deregulation is associated with various disorders including autoimmune diseases and cancer. Identification of novel factors that modulate NF-B function is therefore of significant importance. The Mastermind-like 1 (MAML1) transcriptional co-activator regulates transcriptional activity in the Notch pathway and is emerging as a co-activator of other pathways. In this study, we found that MAML1 regulates NF-B signaling via two mechanisms. First, MAML1 coactivates the NF-B subunit RelA (p65) in NF-B-dependent transcription. Second, MAML1 causes degradation of the inhibitor of NF-B (IB␣). Maml1-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts showed impaired tumor necrosis factor-␣ (TNF␣)-induced NF-B responses. Moreover, MAML1 expression level directly influences cellular sensitivity to TNF␣-induced cytotoxicity. In vivo, mice deficient in the Maml1 gene exhibited spontaneous cell death in the liver, with a large increase in the number of apoptotic hepatic cells. These findings indicate that MAML1 is a novel modulator for NF-B signaling and regulates cellular survival.
Nuclear factor-B (NF-B)2 signaling regulates diverse biological responses, including cell proliferation, survival, inflammation, and immunity (for review, see 1-4). Deregulated NF-B signaling is associated with many disease states such as AIDS, asthma, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, stroke, and viral infection.NF-B consists of homo-or heterodimers of members of the Rel family: RelA (p65), RelB, c-Rel, p105 and its processing product p50, and p100 and its processing product p52. These proteins contain a Rel homology domain, a conserved 300-amino acid domain within their N termini that is responsible for DNA binding and homo-or heterodimerization. The common active forms of NF-B are RelA/p50 or RelA/p52 heterodimers. In its inactive state, NF-B remains sequestered in the cytoplasm by members of the inhibitor IB family. Although the IB family consists of IB␣, , ␥ (p105), ␦ (p100), ⑀ and Bcl-3, the best studied and major IB protein is IB␣. NF-B-based signaling results from a variety of stimuli, including T cell receptor signals, cytokines, and viral and bacterial products. In the canonical pathway, an IB kinase (IKK) complex is activated upon response to these stimuli, and two kinases in this complex, IKK␣ and IKK, phosphorylate IB. Phosphorylation triggers IB for ubiquitination by the Skp/Cullin/F-box-containing ubiquitin ligase complex, leading to the degradation of IB by the 26 S proteasome. NF-B subsequently becomes liberated from its interaction with IB, rapidly translocates to the nucleus, and binds to its cognate DNA-binding site in the promoter or enhancer regions of specific NF-B target genes. Thus, the result of NF-B activation triggered from a myriad of cellular activators is highly regulated gene expression.The biological and pathogenic importance of NF-B signaling emphasizes the need to control its action tightly, both physiologically and therapeu...