A computational model of the DNA damage-induced IKK/ NF-κB pathway reveals a critical dependence on irradiation dose and PARP-1

Summary The activation of IKK/ NF-κB by genotoxic stress is a crucial process in the DNA damage response. Due to the anti-apoptotic impact of NF-κB it can affect cell fate decisions upon DNA damage and therefore interfere with tumour therapy-induced cell death. Here, we developed a dynamical model describing IKK/ NF-κB signalling that faithfully reproduces quantitative time course data and enabled a detailed analysis of pathway regulation. The approach elucidates a pathway topology with two hubs, where the first integrates signals from two DNA damage sensors and the second forms a coherent feedforward loop. The analyses reveal a critical role of the sensor protein PARP-1 in the pathway regulation. Introducing a method for calculating the impact of individual components on pathway activity in a time-resolved manner we show how irradiation dose influences pathway activation. Our results give a mechanistic understanding relevant for the interpretation of experimental and clinical studies.