title: Cryopyrin/NALP3 binds ATP/dATP, is an ATPase, and requires ATP binding to mediate inflammatory signaling.
abstract: The CATERPILLER (CLR/NLR) gene family encodes a family of putative nucleotide-binding proteins important for host defense. Although nucleotide binding is thought to be central to this family, this aspect is largely unstudied. The CATERPILLER protein cryopyrin/NALP3 regulates IL-1beta processing by assembling the multimeric inflammasome complex. Mutations within the exon encoding the nucleotide-binding domain are associated with hereditary periodic fevers characterized by constitutive IL-1beta production. We demonstrate that purified cryopyrin binds ATP, dATP, and ATP-agarose, but not CTP, GTP, or UTP, and exhibits ATPase activity. Mutation of the nucleotide-binding domain reduces ATP binding, caspase-1 activation, IL-1beta production, cell death, macromolecular complex formation, self-association, and association with the inflammasome component ASC. Disruption of nucleotide binding abolishes the constitutive activation of disease-associated mutants, identifying nucleotide binding by cryopyrin as a potential target for antiinflammatory pharmacologic intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7295, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.forename: Daniel T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Bergstralh
authors.forename: Yanhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Willingham
authors.forename: Zhengmao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Albert G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: Jenny Pan-Yun
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Ting
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology*; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D000071199:NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D000071199:NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; C453881:NLRP3 protein, human; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases