NF-kappaB activation by protein kinase C isoforms and B-cell function.

B cells are essential to the immune response in health and disease. Results from knockout (KO) mice for different members of the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) family have highlighted the importance of this transcription factor in B cell development and function. The recent generation of additional KO mice for adapters and kinases implicated in NF-kappaB activation, including several protein kinase C isoforms, has provided new insights into the roles of these proteins in B cell signalling. These studies have also given rise to a number of important questions that must be answered with further experimentation to establish accurately the signalling pathways that regulate B-cell function through NF-kappaB.