Novel roles for the NF-κB signaling pathway in regulating neuronal function

Two new reports offer exciting evidence of novel roles for components of the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway in the nervous system. Transcriptional activation by NF-κB and chromatin remodeling by inhibitor of κB (IκB) kinase complex (IKK) have been linked to recall and reconsolidation of conditioned fear memories in the mammalian central nervous system. In the Drosophila neuromuscular junction, a member of the NF-κB family has been reported to regulate glutamate receptor clustering. Both reports could have important implications for the function of the NF-κB signaling pathway in neuronal plasticity.