Cutting edge:: FADD is not required for antigen receptor-mediated NF-κB activation

Recently, it has been demonstrated that stimulated T cells bearing defects in caspase-8 fail to promote nuclear shuttling of NF-kappa B complexes. Such cells display strikingly similar proliferative and survival defects as T cells lacking Fas-associated death domain protein (FADD) function. We characterized NF-kappa B signaling in T cells bearing a dominant-negative FADD transgene (FADDdd). Whereas FADDdd T cells displayed proliferative defects following activation, these were not a consequence of aberrant NF-kappa B signaling, as measured by IKK/I kappa B phosphorylation and I kappa B degradation. There were no appreciable defects in nuclear translocation of p65/Rel using ImageStream, a flow-based imaging cytometer. Pretreatment with benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone, a potent caspase inhibitor, also failed to impede canonical NF-kappa B signaling. Secretion of IL-2 and up-regulation of various activation markers occurred normally. Thus, FADD does not play an essential role in NF-kappa B activation, suggesting an alternative route by which this adaptor promotes the clonal expansion of T cells.