NFkB-activating kinase (NAK) is serine/threonine protein kinase that is a member of the IkB kinase (IKK) family and plays a key role in cellular inflammatory responses to foreign stimuli and agents. Fitzgerald, et al. used the NAK antibody to characterize the signaling pathways downstream of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) and NFkB in viral infection and the innate immune response – NAK and IkappaB kinase epsilon (IKKepsilon) were found to be integral components (1). Further IRF3 studies were done with the NAK antibody to generate expression profiles in cord blood cells treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce interferon downstream signaling (2).
Immunocytochemistry/Immunofluorescence: NAK Antibody
Interesting differences in IRF3 and Interferon beta mediated signaling were found between the neonatal blood cells and their adult counterparts. Other signaling studies performed by McCoy’s group employed the NAK antibody to monitor the effects of glucocorticoids on the Toll-like receptors TLR3 and TLR4 in response to an LPS stimulus (3). They found that NAK is the direct target for dexamethasone, enabling the drug to function through blocking that arm of IRF3 signaling but not in a MKP1 phosphatase-mediated manner. The NAK antibody was also used to demonstrate a new NAK-dependent means of Akt activation in TLR-mediated immune responses by Joung, et al. (4). Research elucidating the regulation of IKK epsilon in the progression of prostate cancer to a hormone-refractory state was done with the NAK antibody, and is the first report of an IkappaB family member that is sensitive to androgen analogue inhibition (5).
Novus Biologicals offers NAK reagents for your research needs including:
