TRAF6 is a signal transducer for interleukin-1.
Cao, Zhaodan; Xiong, Jessie; Takeuchi, Masahiro; Kurama, Takeshi; Goeddel, David V.
[Letter] Nature. 383(6599):443-446, October 3, 1996.

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Many cytokines signal through different cell-surface receptors to activate the transcription factor NF-kappa B [1]. Members of the TRAF protein family have been implicated in the activation of NF-kappa B by the tumour-necrosis factor (TNF)-receptor superfamily [2-5]. Here we report the identification of a new TRAF family member, designated TRAF6. When overexpressed in human 293 cells, TRAF6 activates NF-kappa B. A dominant-negative mutant of TRAF6 inhibits NF-kappa B activation signalled by interleukin-1 (IL-1) but not by TNF. IL-1 treatment of 293 cells induces the association of TRAF6 with IRAK, a serine/threonine kinase that is rapidly recruited to the IL-1 receptor after IL-1 induction [6]. These findings indicate that TRAF proteins may function as signal transducers for distinct receptor families and that TRAF6 participates in IL-1 signalling.

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