title: Policing the cytosol--bacterial-sensing inflammasome receptors and pathways.
abstract: Pattern recognition receptors recognize signals originating from pathogens and comprise a large part of the arsenal in innate immune responses. The NOD-like receptors (NLRs) are one particular class of these receptors that survey the cytoplasm for signs of pathogen invasion. Upon detection, they trigger the formation of a macromolecular complex called the inflammasome that is required for elimination of the pathogen, as well as amplifying a pro-inflammatory response. Although the core machinery has been defined, recent data emphasize the complexity of how NLR inflammasomes function. Here, we highlight new discoveries that reveal how precisely fine-tuned NLR inflammasome functions are, and how that may be modulated by antagonistic effects of concomitant inflammasome activation as well as novel regulatory factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, 299 Campus Drive, Mail Code 5124, Stanford, CA 94305, United States.
authors.forename: Tessie M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kortmann
authors.forename: Denise M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Monack
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020169:Caspases / Q000276:immunology*; D053471:Caspases, Initiator; D003600:Cytosol / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D058847:Inflammasomes / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000276:immunology*; D053472:Nod Signaling Adaptor Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D058847:Inflammasomes; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D053472:Nod Signaling Adaptor Proteins; C101136:Casp4 protein, mouse; D020169:Caspases; D053471:Caspases, Initiator