THE NF-KAPPA-B REL AND I-KAPPA-B GENE FAMILIES - MEDIATORS OF IMMUNE-RESPONSE AND INFLAMMATION/

Two families of gene regulators play an important role in cellular sig naling processes in vertebrates: the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B)/Rel group of transcription activators and their coevolved regulator y proteins, the inhibitors of kappa B (I kappa Bs). The biological fun ctions of NF-kappa B comprise communication between cells, embryonal d evelopment, the response to stress, inflammation and viral infection, and the maintenance of cell type specific expression of genes. In seve ral pathogenic conditions components of the NF-kappa B system are dere gulated and could thus present potential diagnostic probes or targets for therapeutic intervention.