title: Sensing pathogens and danger signals by the inflammasome.
abstract: The NLR (nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat containing) family of intracellular sensors is a crucial component of the innate immune system. A number of NLR family members can form multiprotein complexes, called inflammasomes, and are capable of activating the cysteine protease caspase-1 in response to a wide range of stimuli including both microbial and self-molecules. Caspase-1 activation leads to processing and secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and IL-18, which play crucial roles in host defense to infectious insults. Dysregulation of the inflammasome has also been linked to a number of autoinflammatory and autoimmune disorders. Recent advances in the inflammasome field will be discussed in this review.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Integrative Genome Biology and Department of Entomology, University of California-Riverside, 92521, USA. joao.pedra@ucr.edu
authors.forename: Joao H F
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Pedra
authors.forename: Suzanne L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Cassel
authors.forename: Fayyaz S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Sutterwala
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D053468:CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D020170:Caspase 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000276:immunology; D000070576:NLR Proteins; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D053468:CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D000070576:NLR Proteins; C503285:NLRC3 protein, human; C435692:NLRC4 protein, human; C427903:NLRP1 protein, human; D020170:Caspase 1