title: Molecular regulation of inflammation and cell death.
abstract: Cell death and innate immunity are ancient evolutionary conserved processes that utilize a dazzling number of related molecular effectors and parallel signal transduction mechanisms. The investigation of the molecular mechanisms linking the sensing of a danger signal (pathogens or tissue damage) to the induction of an inflammatory response has witnessed a renaissance in the last few years. This was initiated by the identification of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), including Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and more recently cytosolic Nod-like receptors (NLRs), that brought innate immunity to center stage and opened the field to the study of signal transduction pathways, adaptors and central effectors linked to PRRs. This led to the characterization of the inflammasome, a macromolecular complex, scaffolded by NLRs, that recruits and activates inflammatory caspases, which are essential effectors in inflammation and cell death responses. In this review, we describe the molecular pathways of cell death and innate immunity with a focus on recent advancements in both fields and an emphasis on the striking analogies between NLR innate immunity and mitochondrial apoptosis pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Critical Care, and Centre for the Study of Host Resistance, McGill University, Montreal, Que., Canada.
authors.forename: Garabet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yeretssian
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Labbé
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saleh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000502:physiology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D053472:Nod Signaling Adaptor Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D051192:Receptors, Pattern Recognition / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D053472:Nod Signaling Adaptor Proteins; D051192:Receptors, Pattern Recognition