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Published on: April 6, 2022
Caspase recruitment domain-containing sensors and adaptors in intestinal innate immunity
1Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Insights
Caspase recruitment domain (CARD)-containing sensors and adaptors are key in detecting pathogens and initiating innate immunity. Understanding these proteins may lead to new treatments for intestinal inflammatory diseases.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Intracellular caspase recruitment domain (CARD)-containing proteins are expressed in myeloid, lymphoid, and intestinal epithelial cells.
- These proteins play a crucial role in the innate immune system's response to pathogens.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the physiological functions of selected CARD-containing sensor and adaptor proteins.
- To elucidate their role in the pathogenesis of intestinal diseases.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on CARD-containing proteins.
- Analysis of signaling pathways involving Toll-like receptors and non-Toll-receptor pathways converging on CARD adaptors.
Main Results:
- CARD-containing sensors like NOD1, NOD2, and IPAF detect microbial structures.
- Activated sensors interact with adaptors (CARD9, RIP2, ASC) to initiate innate immune responses.
- These pathways are crucial for host defense against gastrointestinal pathogens.
Conclusions:
- CARD-containing sensors and adaptors are vital for innate host defense against gastrointestinal pathogens.
- Their involvement in regulating inflammatory responses suggests potential as therapeutic targets for intestinal inflammatory conditions.
Purpose Of Review:
The present review discusses the physiological functions of selected caspase recruitment domain (CARD)-containing sensor and adaptor proteins and their role in the pathogenesis of intestinal diseases.
Recent Findings:
Myeloid and lymphoid cells as well as intestinal epithelial cells express several intracellular CARD-containing proteins. CARD-containing sensors, particularly NOD1 (CARD4), NOD2 (CARD15) and IPAF (CARD12), have an important role in the detection of conserved microbial structures of invading microbial pathogens. Upon ligand recognition and activation, the sensors interact through CARD domains with downstream CARD-containing adaptors including CARD9, RIP2 (CARD3) and ASC (CARD5). Recent data suggest that multiple signaling pathways from Toll-like receptors and non-Toll-receptor pathways converge on these adaptor proteins and that their functions are crucial for the initiation of innate immune responses to invading microbial pathogens.
Summary:
CARD-containing adaptors and sensors represent an important family of molecules involved in innate host defense against gastrointestinal pathogens and in the regulation of inflammatory responses, suggesting that further insights into their physiological functions may yield new pharmacological strategies for treating intestinal inflammatory conditions.
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