The IκB kinase complex regulates the stability of cytokine-encoding mRNA induced by TLR–IL-1R by controlling degradation of regnase-1

The stability of interleukin 6 transcripts is negatively regulated by the RNAse regnase-1. Akira and colleagues show that regnase-1 is targeted for degradation by phosphorylation mediated by the kinase IKK, which allows more interleukin 6 production. Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling activates the inhibitor of transcription factor NF-κB (IκB) kinase (IKK) complex, which governs NF-κB-mediated transcription during inflammation. The RNase regnase-1 serves a critical role in preventing autoimmunity by controlling the stability of mRNAs that encode cytokines. Here we show that the IKK complex controlled the stability of mRNA for interleukin 6 (IL-6) by phosphorylating regnase-1 in response to stimulation via the IL-1 receptor (IL-1R) or TLR. Phosphorylated regnase-1 underwent ubiquitination and degradation. Regnase-1 was reexpressed in IL-1R- or TLR-activated cells after a period of lower expression. Regnase-1 mRNA was negatively regulated by regnase-1 itself via a stem-loop region present in the regnase-1 3′ untranslated region. Our data demonstrate that the IKK complex phosphorylates not only IκBα, thereby activating transcription, but also regnase-1, thereby releasing a 'brake' on IL-6 mRNA expression.