title: Sensing the enemy within: how macrophages detect intracellular Gram-negative bacteria.
abstract: Caspase-11 contributes to host defense against Gram-negative bacterial pathogens by inducing an inflammatory form of programmed cell death in infected cells. Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) have been identified as the microbial agents that stimulate caspase-11 activation; however, the mechanism of LPS detection has been unknown. In a recent study, Shao and colleagues demonstrate that caspase-11 and its human homologues, caspases -4 and -5, unexpectedly act as direct sensors of cytosolic LPS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Protein Research, VIB, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium; Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Demon
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Protein Research, VIB, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium; Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium.
authors.forename: Lieselotte
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vande Walle
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Protein Research, VIB, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium; Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium. Electronic address: mohamed.lamkanfi@vib-ugent.be.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lamkanfi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D018448:Models, Immunological
keywords: caspase-11; caspase-4; caspase-5; inflammasome; intracellular lipopolysaccharide; pyroptosis