NF-κB precursor, p105, and NF-κB inhibitor, IκBγ, are both elevated in Alzheimer disease brain

The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signal transduction pathway regulates several vital cellular processes. During our studies of the glycoproteins involved in Alzheimer disease (AD), we found a significant increase of a 45-kDa protein band that was stained by lectin Maackia amurensis agglutinin (MAA). Mass spectrometry and Western blot analyses indicated that this 45-kDa MMA-positive protein was an inhibitor of NF-κB, IκBγ. By Western blot analysis, the levels of both IκBγ and NF-κB precursor, p105, were found to be elevated in AD brain as compared to age-matched controls. Our findings suggest that the NF-κB pathway might be involved in the molecular mechanism of AD.