title: NLRC4/IPAF: a CARD carrying member of the NLR family.
abstract: The NOD-like receptor (NLR) family of proteins is involved in the regulation of innate immune responses and cell death pathways. Recent findings show that the NLR family member NLRC4 (also known as IPAF) has important roles in innate immune responses to Gram-negative bacteria. Macrophages infected with Legionella pneumophila, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella flexneri, or Pseudomonas aeruginosa activate caspase-1 in an NLRC4-dependent manner leading to macrophage cell death and the release of proinflammatory cytokines. This review will discuss these findings as well as the role of bacterial type III and type IV secretion systems and flagellin in NLRC4-mediated caspase-1 activation.
authors.affiliation: Inflammation Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52241, USA. fayyaz-sutterwala@uiowa.edu
authors.forename: Fayyaz S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Sutterwala
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Flavell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D053468:CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D020170:Caspase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D051616:Neuronal Apoptosis-Inhibitory Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D053468:CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D051616:Neuronal Apoptosis-Inhibitory Protein; D020170:Caspase 1