Inhibiting proinflammatory NF-kappaB signaling using cell-penetrating NEMO binding domain peptides

Methods Mol Biol. 2009:512:209-32. doi: 10.1007/978-1-60327-530-9_11.

Abstract

Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) is an inducible transcription factor that regulates the expression of many genes involved in normal immune and inflammatory responses. NF-kappaB activation is normally a rapid and transient response to pro-inflammatory stimuli however dysregulated constitutively active NF-kappaB signaling leads to chronic inflammation and provides a cell survival signal in many types of cancer. NF-kappaB signaling is therefore an important target for the development of novel anti-inflammatory or anti-cancer drugs. We previously identified and characterized a cell-permeable peptide that blocks NF-kappaB signaling by disrupting the critical upstream IkappaB kinase (IKK) complex. We describe in this chapter three separate methods to determine the effects of this NEMO-binding domain (NBD) peptide on pro-inflammatory NF-kappaB signaling in response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF).

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Cells, Cultured
  • Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay
  • HeLa Cells / drug effects
  • HeLa Cells / metabolism
  • Humans
  • I-kappa B Kinase / metabolism
  • I-kappa B Kinase / pharmacology*
  • Immunoblotting
  • Luciferases / metabolism
  • NF-kappa B / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / pharmacology

Substances

  • IKBKG protein, human
  • NF-kappa B
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Luciferases
  • I-kappa B Kinase