title: Nod1, an Apaf-1-like activator of caspase-9 and nuclear factor-kappaB.
abstract: Ced-4 and Apaf-1 belong to a major class of apoptosis regulators that contain caspase-recruitment (CARD) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domains. Nod1, a protein with an NH2-terminal CARD-linked to a nucleotide-binding domain and a COOH-terminal segment with multiple leucine-rich repeats, was identified. Nod-1 was found to bind to multiple caspases with long prodomains, but specifically activated caspase-9 and promoted caspase-9-induced apoptosis. As reported for Apaf-1, Nod1 required both the CARD and P-loop for function. Unlike Apaf-1, Nod1 induced activation of nuclear factor-kappa-B (NF-kappaB) and bound RICK, a CARD-containing kinase that also induces NF-kappaB activation. Nod1 mutants inhibited NF-kappaB activity induced by RICK, but not that resulting from tumor necrosis factor-alpha stimulation. Thus, Nod1 is a leucine-rich repeat-containing Apaf-1-like molecule that can regulate both apoptosis and NF-kappaB activation pathways.
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017209:Apoptosis; D053477:Apoptotic Protease-Activating Factor 1; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases / Q000502:physiology*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000502:physiology*; D053474:Nod1 Signaling Adaptor Protein; D011506:Proteins