Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 6, 2025

NF-κB-dependent Luciferase Activation and Quantification of Gene Expression in Salmonella Infected Tissue Culture Cells
Published on: January 12, 2020
Six distinct NFκB signaling codons convey discrete information to distinguish stimuli and enable appropriate
Adewunmi Adelaja1, Brooks Taylor1, Katherine M Sheu1
1Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences (QCBio), Molecular Biology Institute (MBI), and Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics (MIMG), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 611 Charles E. Young Dr S, Los Angeles, CA 90093.
Abstract:
Macrophages initiate inflammatory responses via the transcription factor NFκB. The temporal pattern of NFκB activity determines which genes are expressed and thus, the type of response that ensues. Here, we examined how information about the stimulus is encoded in the dynamics of NFκB activity. We generated an mVenus-RelA reporter mouse line to enable high-throughput live-cell analysis of primary macrophages responding to host- and pathogen-derived stimuli. An information-theoretic workflow identified six dynamical features-termed signaling codons-that convey stimulus information to the nucleus. In particular, oscillatory trajectories were a hallmark of responses to cytokine but not pathogen-derived stimuli. Single-cell imaging and RNA sequencing of macrophages from a mouse model of Sjögren's syndrome revealed inappropriate responses to stimuli, suggestive of confusion of two NFκB signaling codons. Thus, the dynamics of NFκB signaling classify immune threats through six signaling codons, and signal confusion based on defective codon deployment may underlie the etiology of some inflammatory diseases.
More Related Videos
11:27A Guide to Production, Crystallization, and Structure Determination of Human IKK1/α
Published on: November 2, 2018
07:55A Macrophage Reporter Cell Assay to Examine Toll-Like Receptor-Mediated NF-kB/AP-1 Signaling on Adsorbed Protein Layers on Polymeric Surfaces
Published on: January 7, 2020
Related Concept Videos
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The...
Signal Transduction: Overview
Typically, signal transduction involves three...
Diversity in Cell Signaling Responses
Graded and Abrupt Responses
Some signaling systems generate...
General Transcription Factors
Co-activators and Co-repressors
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...