Abstract

Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) signaling gives rise to a number of events, including activation of transcription factor NF-κB and programmed cell death (apoptosis). Previous studies of TNF-α signaling have suggested that these two events occur independently. The sensitivity and kinetics of TNF-α-induced apoptosis are shown to be enhanced in a number of cell types expressing a dominant-negative IκBα (IκBαM). These findings suggest that a negative feedback mechanism results from TNF-α signaling in which NF-κB activation suppresses the signals for cell death.