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Interactions of NF-κB with chromatin: the art of being at the right place at the right time

Nature Immunology volume 6, pages 439–445 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Transcription factors of the NF-κB family are essential regulators of the inflammatory and immune responses. The main 'switch' in NF-κB activation is cytoplasmic and leads to the release of NF-κB proteins from IκB molecules, specific inhibitors that prevent their nuclear accumulation. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that in addition to this required activation step, both recruitment of NF-κB to target genes and NF-κB-induced transcriptional events after recruitment are actively controlled. Regulated recruitment of NF-κB to chromatin generates kinetic complexity in NF-κB-dependent gene induction and 'wires' NF-κB-regulated gene activity to simultaneously activated pathways and transcription factors.

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Figure 1: Components of the NF-κB transcriptional system: Rel proteins, NF-κB dimers and κB sites.
Figure 2: Structural views of NF-κB and the nucleosome.
Figure 3: Regulatory 'layers' in NF-κB-dependent gene induction.

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Acknowledgements

We thank S. Dimitrov (Institute Albert Bonniot, Grenoble, Switzerland) and M.E. Bianchi (Dipartimento Biotecnologie, San Raffaele Institute, Milan, Italy) for discussions and insights; and W. Vandenberghe and G. Haegeman (University of Gent, Gent, Belgium) for suggestions on the manuscript. Supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation and Swiss League against Cancer.

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  1. Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Via Vincenzo Vela 6, Bellinzona, 6500, Switzerland

    Gioacchino Natoli, Simona Saccani, Daniela Bosisio & Ivan Marazzi

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Natoli, G., Saccani, S., Bosisio, D. et al. Interactions of NF-κB with chromatin: the art of being at the right place at the right time. Nat Immunol 6, 439–445 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/ni1196

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