Interactions of NF-κB with chromatin: the art of being at the right place at the right time

Transcription factors of the NF-κB family are essential regulators of the inflammatory and immune responses. The main 'switch' in NF-κB activation is cytoplasmic and leads to the release of NF-κB proteins from IκB molecules, specific inhibitors that prevent their nuclear accumulation. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that in addition to this required activation step, both recruitment of NF-κB to target genes and NF-κB-induced transcriptional events after recruitment are actively controlled. Regulated recruitment of NF-κB to chromatin generates kinetic complexity in NF-κB-dependent gene induction and 'wires' NF-κB-regulated gene activity to simultaneously activated pathways and transcription factors.