Overview:

Transcription factors of the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)/Rel family play a pivotal role in inflammatory and immune responses In unstimulated cells, NF-κB is sequestered in the cytoplasm by its inhibitory proteins, the IκBs (1). NF-κB-activating agents can induce the phosphorylation of IκB’s, targeting them for rapid degradation through an ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, releasing NF-κB to enter the nucleus, where it regulates gene expression.

References:

1. Baeuerle, P. et al: Function and activation of NF-kappa B in the immune system. Annu Rev Immunol. 1994;12:141-79.