The p65 subunit of NF-kappa B regulates I kappa B by two distinct mechanisms

Transcription factor NF-kappa B (p50/p65) is generally localized to the cytoplasm by its inhibitor I kappa B. Overproduced I kappa B, free from NF-kappa B, is rapidly degraded. Overexpression of p65 increases endogenous I kappa B protein in both carcinoma and lymphoid cells by two mechanisms: protein stabilization and increased transcription of I kappa B mRNA. In contrast, p65 delta, a naturally occurring splice variant, fails to markedly augment I kappa B protein levels. Both overexpressed p65 and coexpressed p50 are cytoplasmic, whereas p65 delta is partly nuclear, indicating that the I kappa B induced by p65 can maintain NF-kappa B in the cytoplasm. Thus, p65 and I kappa B are linked in an autoregulatory loop, ensuring that NF-kappa B is held in the cytoplasm until cells are specifically induced to translocate it to the nucleus.