O15111, O14920

IKKα is part of the IκB kinase complex that plays an important role in regulating the NFKB transcription factor. IKKβ is an enzyme that serves as a protein subunit of IκB kinase, which is a component of the cytokine-activated intracellular signaling pathway involved in triggering immune responses. IKK's activity causes activation of a transcription factor known as Nuclear Transcription factor kappa-B or NFKB. Activated IKKβ phosphorylates a protein called the inhibitor of NFKB, IkB (IkBα), which binds NFKB to inhibit its function. IKKα and IKKβ phosphorylate the IκB proteins, marking them for degradation via ubiquitination and allowing NFKB transcription factors to go into the nucleus. Once activated, NFKB transcription factors regulate genes that are implicated in many important cellular processes, including immune response, inflammation, cell death, and cell proliferation.