Both pro-and antiapoptotic activities of NF-B transcription factor have been observed; however, less is known about the mechanism by which NF-B induces apoptosis. To elucidate how NF-B regulates proapoptotic signaling, we performed functional analyses using wild-type, ikk1؊/؊ , ikk2 ؊/؊ , rela ؊/؊ murine fibroblasts, MDAPanc-28/Puro, MDAPanc-28/IB␣M, and HCT116/p53 ؉/؉ and HCT116/p53 ؊/؊ cells with investigational anticancer agent doxycycline as a superoxide inducer for generating apoptotic stimulus. In this report, we show that doxycycline increased superoxide generation and subsequently activated NF-B, which in turn up-regulated p53 expression and increased the stability and DNA binding activity of p53. Consequently, NF-Bdependent p53 activity induced the expression of p53-regulated genes PUMA and p21 waf1 as well as apoptosis. Importantly, lack of RelA, IKK, and p53 as well as expression of a dominant negative IB␣ (IB␣M) inhibited NF-B-dependent p53 activation and apoptosis. The doxycycline-induced NF-B activation was not inhibited in HCT116/p53 ؊/؊ cells. Our results demonstrate that NF-B plays an essential role in activation of wild-type p53 tumor suppressor to initiate proapoptotic signaling in response to overgeneration of superoxide. Thus, these findings reveal a mechanism of NF-B-regulated proapoptotic signaling.