Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Application of Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Nitric Oxide (NO•) Probes, the geNOps, for Real-time Imaging of NO• Signals in Single Cells
Published on: March 16, 2017
A novel CARD containing splice-isoform of CIITA regulates nitric oxide synthesis in dendritic cells
Dachuan Huang1, Sylvia Lim, Rong Yuan Ray Chua
1Laboratory of Membrane Trafficking and Immunoregulation, Department of Microbiology, Immunology Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Block MD4, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117597, Republic of Singapore.
Abstract:
MHC class II expression is controlled mainly at transcriptional level by class II transactivator (CIITA), which is a non-DNA binding coactivator and serves as a master control factor for MHC class II genes expression. Here, we describe the function of a novel splice-isoform of CIITA, DC-expressed caspase inhibitory isoform of CIITA (or DC-CASPIC), and we show that the expression of DCCASPIC in DC is upregulated upon lipopolysaccharides (LPS) induction. DC-CASPIC localizes to mitochondria, and protein-protein interaction study demonstrates that DC-CASPIC interacts with caspases and inhibits its activity in DC. Consistently, DC-CASPIC suppresses caspases-induced degradation of nitric oxide synthase-2 (NOS2) and subsequently promotes the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO). NO is an essential regulatory molecule that modulates the capability of DC in stimulating T cell proliferation/activation in vitro; hence, overexpression of DC-CASPIC in DC enhances this stimulation. Collectively, our findings reveal that DC-CASPIC is a key molecule that regulates caspases activity and NO synthesis in DC.
Related Concept Videos
Nitric Oxide Signaling Pathway
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The heterodimer of NF-κB...
NF-kB-dependent Signaling Pathway
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The heterodimer of NF-κB...
Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways
Mechanism of Angiogenesis
Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway
