title: The inflammasome in pathogen recognition and inflammation.
abstract: The nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor (NLR) family of proteins is involved in the regulation of innate immune responses and cell death pathways. Some NLR family members promote the activation of proinflammatory caspases within multiprotein complexes, called inflammasomes. Recent studies analyzing mice deficient in various components of the inflammasome have provided insight into the role of these molecules in host defense against pathogens and in autoinflammatory disorders. Here, we review these studies and propose that membrane disruption leads to activation of the inflammasome.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA.
authors.forename: Fayyaz S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Sutterwala
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ogura
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Flavell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D053468:CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D020170:Caspase 1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018448:Models, Immunological; D000071199:NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D051192:Receptors, Pattern Recognition / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D053468:CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C512299:Ipaf protein, mouse; D000071199:NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; C453881:NLRP3 protein, human; D051192:Receptors, Pattern Recognition; D020170:Caspase 1