Issue Archive

[Regulation of NOD like receptors and inflammasome during the inflammation.] [Article in Chinese]

LIU An-Nan, SUN Tie-Ying

Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China； Department of Special Medical Care

Abstract

The innate immune system plays a crucial role in the rapid recognition and elimination of invading microbes. Detection of microbes relies on germ-line encoded pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that recognize essential bacterial molecules, so-called pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). A subset of PRRs, belonging to the nucleotide binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor (NLR) families, detects viral and bacterial pathogens in the cytosol of host cells and induces the assembly of a multi-protein signaling platform called the inflammasome. The inflammasome serves as an activation platform for the cysteine protease Caspase-1, a central mediator of innate immunity. Caspase-1 initiates a novel form of cell death called pyroptosis. Inflammasome activation by pathogen-associated signatures results in the autocatalytic cleavage of Caspase-1 and ultimately leads to the processing and thus secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, most importantly interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18. Here, we review the recent advancements of negative regulatory functions and mechanisms leading to the activation of NLRP1, NLRP3, NLRC4, and AIM2 inflammasomes.

Key words: inflammasomes; nucleotide binding oligomerization domain-like receptor; inflammation; regulation

Received: 2012-03-08　　Accepted: 2012-05-07

Corresponding author: 孙铁英　　E-mail: suntieying3@hotmail.com

Citing This Article：

LIU An-Nan, SUN Tie-Ying. [Regulation of NOD like receptors and inflammasome during the inflammation.] [Article in Chinese]. Acta Physiol Sin 2012; 64 (6): 741-750 (in Chinese with English abstract).