The effects of amyloid‐beta—a peptide found in the plaques observed in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients—were studied in the HT22 hippocampal neuronal cell line and in mitochondria isolated from these cells; the cells and mitochondria were incubated in the presence or absence of (a) exogenous Aβ 1–42 (human amyloid beta peptide) and (b) an NF‐kB inhibitor (BAY11‐7082), and mitochondrial function was evaluated. The gene discussed is NFKB1; the disease is Alzheimer disease.