title: Inflammasome adaptors and sensors: intracellular regulators of infection and inflammation.
abstract: The NOD-like receptors have important roles in innate immunity as intracellular sensors of microbial components and cell injury. It has been proposed that these cytosolic proteins regulate the cysteine protease caspase-1 within a multiprotein complex known as the 'inflammasome'. Activation of caspase-1 leads to the cleavage and activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and IL-18, as well as host-cell death. The analysis of mice that are deficient in various inflammasome components has revealed that the inflammasome is a dynamic entity that is assembled from different adaptors in a stimulus-dependent manner. Here we review recent work on the activation of the inflammasome in response to various bacterial pathogens and tissue damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, USA. sanj@gene.com
authors.forename: Sanjeev
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mariathasan
authors.forename: Denise M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Monack
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D053468:CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D018448:Models, Immunological
chemical_list: D053468:CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins