A pervasive role of histone acetyltransferases and deacetylases in an NF-κB-signaling code

Most nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) inducers converge to activate the IκB kinase (IKK) complex, leading to NF-κB nuclear accumulation. However, depending on the inducer and the cell line, the subset of NF-κB-induced genes is different, underlining a complex regulation network. Recent findings have begun to delineate that histone and non-histone protein acetylation is involved, directly and indirectly, in controlling the duration, strength and specificity of the NF-κB-activating signaling pathway at multiple levels. Acetylation and deacetylation events, in combination with other post-translational protein modifications, generate an ‘NF-κB-signaling code’ and regulate NF-κB-dependent gene transcription in an inducer- and promoter-dependent manner. Indeed, the intricate involvement of histone acetyltransferases and histone deacetylases modulates both the NF-κB-signaling pathway and the transcriptional transactivation of NF-κB-dependent genes.