IKKa/CHUK

IKKα, the product of the CHUK gene, is a catalytic subunit of the IκB kinase (IKK) complex together with IKKβ and the regulatory scaffold NEMO (IKKγ). Upon stimulation by TNF, IL-1 or pathogen-associated signals, IKKα contributes to phosphorylation of IκBα, marking it for ubiquitination and degradation and liberating NF-κB dimers for nuclear translocation. Relative to IKKβ, IKKα plays more prominent noncanonical roles: it phosphorylates NF-κB2 p100 during noncanonical NF-κB activation, controls keratinocyte proliferation and skin development, and shuttles to the nucleus to modulate histone H3 and transcriptional coactivator function. Recombinant IKKα supports studies of both canonical and alternative NF-κB signaling.