scholarly journals Advances in Understanding Activation and Function of the NLRC4 Inflammasome

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1048
Author(s):  
Balamurugan Sundaram ◽  
Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti

Innate immune receptors initiate a host immune response, or inflammatory response, upon detecting pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Among the innate immune receptors, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptors (NLRs) play a pivotal role in detecting cytosolic PAMPs and DAMPs. Some NLRs can form a multiprotein cytosolic complex known as the inflammasome. Inflammasome activation triggers caspase-1–mediated cleavage of the pore-forming protein gasdermin D (GSDMD), which drives a form of inflammatory cell death called pyroptosis. Parallelly, activated caspase-1 cleaves immature cytokines pro–IL-1β and pro–IL-18 into their active forms, which can be released via GSDMD membrane pores. The NLR family apoptosis inhibitory proteins (NAIP)-NLR family caspase-associated recruitment domain-containing protein 4 (NLRC4) inflammasome is important for mounting an immune response against Gram-negative bacteria. NLRC4 is activated through NAIPs sensing type 3 secretion system (T3SS) proteins from Gram-negative bacteria, such as Salmonella Typhimurium. Mutations in NAIPs and NLRC4 are linked to autoinflammatory disorders in humans. In this review, we highlight the role of the NAIP/NLRC4 inflammasome in host defense, autoinflammatory diseases, cancer, and cell death. We also discuss evidence pointing to a role of NLRC4 in PANoptosis, which was recently identified as a unique inflammatory programmed cell death pathway with important physiological relevance in a range of diseases. Improved understanding of the NLRC4 inflammasome and its potential roles in PANoptosis paves the way for identifying new therapeutic strategies to target disease.

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lixiang Chen ◽  
Xue Liu ◽  
Xin Yu ◽  
Rongrong Ren ◽  
Chao Wang ◽  
...  

Chlamydiae are Gram-negative bacteria, which replicate exclusively in the infected host cells. Infection of the host cells by Chlamydiae stimulates the innate immune system leading to an inflammatory response, which is manifested not only by secretion of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1βfrom monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells, but also possibly by cell death mediated by Caspase-1 pyroptosis. RIP3 is a molecular switch that determines the development of necrosis or inflammation. However, the involvement of RIP3 in inflammasome activation byChlamydia muridaruminfection has not been clarified. Here, we assessed the role of RIP3 in synergy with Caspase-1 in the induction of IL-1βproduction in BMDM after either LPS/ATP orChlamydia muridarumstimulation. The possibility of pyroptosis and necroptosis interplays and the role of RIP3 in IL-1βproduction duringChlamydia muridaruminfection in BMDM was investigated as well. The data indicated that RIP3 is involved in NLRP3 inflammasome activation in LPS/ATP-stimulated BMDMs but not inChlamydia muridaruminfection. Pyroptosis occurred in BMDM after LPS/ATP stimulation orChlamydia muridaruminfection. Moreover, the results also illuminated the important role of the Caspase-1-mediated pyroptosis process which does not involve RIP3. Taken together, these observations may help shed new light on details in inflammatory signaling pathways activated byChlamydia muridaruminfection.


2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tae Jin Kang ◽  
Geum Seon Lee ◽  
Se Kon Kim ◽  
Song Hou Jin ◽  
Gue Tae Chae

A/J mice were found to have amino acid differences in Naip5, one of the NOD-like receptors (NLRs) involved in the cytosolic recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns and one of the adaptor proteins for caspase-1 activation. This defect was associated with a susceptibility toLegionellainfection, suggesting an important role for Naip5 in the immune response also to other intracellular pathogens, such asMycobacterium leprae. In this study, the immune responses of macrophages from A/J mice againstM. lepraewere compared to those of macrophages from C57BL/6 mice. Infection withM. lepraeinduced high levels of TNF-αproduction and NF-κB activation in A/J and C57BL/6 macrophages. Caspase-1 activation and IL-1βsecretion were also induced in both macrophages. However, macrophages from A/J mice exhibited reduced caspase-1 activation and IL-1βsecretion compared to C57BL/6 macrophages. These results suggest that NLR family proteins may have a role in the innate immune response toM. leprae.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei-Feng Wang ◽  
Xiao-Yong Xie ◽  
Kang Chen ◽  
Xiu-Li Chen ◽  
Wei-Lin Zhu ◽  
...  

Chinese horseshoe crab, Tachypleus tridentatus, is an ancient marine arthropod with a long evolutionary history. As a kind of living fossil species, the pathogen defenses of horseshoe crabs entirely depend on the innate immune system. Although, there are abundant immune molecules found in the horseshoe crab hemolymph, the biological mechanisms underlying their abilities of distinguishing and defending against invading microbes are still unclear. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing at mRNA and protein levels and bioinformatics analysis methods to systematically analyze the innate immune response to Gram-negative bacteria in hemolymph of Chinese horseshoe crab. These results showed that many genes in the complement and coagulation cascades, Toll, NF-κB, C-type lectin receptor, JAK-STAT, and MAPK signaling pathways, and antimicrobial substances were activated at 12 and 24 h post-infection, suggesting that Gram-negative bacteria could activate the hemolymph coagulation cascade and antibacterial substances release via the above pathways. In addition, we conjectured that Toll and NF-κB signaling pathway were most likely to participate in the immune response to Gram-negative bacteria in hemolymph of horseshoe crab through an integral signal cascade. These findings will provide a useful reference for exploring the ancient original innate immune mechanism.


2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohlopheni Jackson Marakalala ◽  
Lisa M. Graham ◽  
Gordon D. Brown

There is increasing interest in understanding the mechanisms underlying the interactions that occur betweenMycobacterium tuberculosisand host innate immune cells. These cells express pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) which recognise mycobacterial pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and which can influence the host immune response to the infection. Although many of the PRRs appear to be redundant in the control ofM. tuberculosisinfectionin vivo, recent discoveries have revealed a key, nonredundant, role of the Syk/CARD9 signalling pathway in antimycobacterial immunity. Here we review these discoveries, as well as recent data investigating the role of the Syk/CARD9-coupled PRRs that have been implicated in mycobacterial recognition, including Dectin-1 and Mincle.


Inflammasome ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mélanie Bodnar ◽  
Virginie Petrilli

AbstractInflammasomes are multi-protein complexes that play a crucial role in innate immunity. They are assembled by cytosolic sensors of the Nucleotide-binding domain and Leucine-rich repeat containing Receptor (NLR) and PYrin and HIN (PYHIN) domain-containing protein families upon sensing various pathogens and danger signals. Inflammasome formation culminates in caspase-1 activation, which causes the cleavage of pro-IL-1β and pro- IL-18 into active cytokines; this eventually results in the induction of an inflammatory cell death called pyroptosis. Recent data using Gram-negative bacteria suggests a role for caspase-11 not only in NLRP3 inflammasome activation but also in a caspase-1- and inflammasome-independent cell death. This novel caspase-11-dependent pathway is critical to control infection by Gram-negative bacteria and has been named the noncanonical inflammasome.


2017 ◽  
Vol 85 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Wang ◽  
Yue Shao ◽  
Shengjun Li ◽  
Na Xin ◽  
Tingxian Ma ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Activation of caspase-11 by some Gram-negative bacteria triggers the caspase-1/interleukin 1β (IL-1β) pathway, independent of canonical inflammasomes. Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative, conditionally pathogenic bacterium that can cause severe pulmonary infection in hospitalized patients. A. baumannii was revealed to activate canonical and noncanonical inflammasome pathways in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs). Pulmonary infection of caspase-11−/− mice with A. baumannii showed that caspase-11 deficiency impaired A. baumannii clearance, exacerbated pulmonary pathological changes, and enhanced susceptibility to A. baumannii. These data indicate that the caspase-11-mediated innate immune response plays a crucial role in defending against A. baumannii.


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