Dissection of the NF-κB signalling cascade in transgenic and knockout mice

Studies in transgenic and knockout mice have made a major contribution to our current understanding of the physiological functions of the NF-kappa B signalling cascade. The generation and analysis of mice with targeted modifications of individual components of the NF-kappa B pathway tremendously advanced our knowledge of the roles of the NF-kappa B proteins themselves, and also of the many activators and negative regulators of NF-kappa B. These studies have highlighted the complexity of the NF-kappa B system, by revealing the multiple interactions, redundancies, but also diverse functions, performed by the different molecules participating in the regulation of NF-kappa B signalling. Furthermore, inhibition or enforced activation of NF-kappa B in transgenic mice has uncovered the critical roles that NF-kappa B plays in the pathogenesis of various diseases such as liver failure, diabetes and cancer.