Is NF-kappaB2/p100 a direct activator of programmed cell death?

Transcription factor NF-kappaB has been implicated in cancer development due to its ability to upregulate expression of genes with potentially prooncogenic functions, such as cell cycle regulators and antiapoptotic proteins (Karin et al., 2002). A recent report by suggests that a structural motif, a death domain (DD), present in one of the mammalian NF-kappaB proteins, NF-kappaB2/p100, allows it to directly activate cell death in a transcription-independent manner. Further, it is suggested that loss of the proapoptotic function of NF-kappaB2/p100 is directly linked to its oncogenic activity in lymphomas.