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HMGB1 release by inflammasomes

Lieselotte Vande Walle1, Thirumala-Dev Kanneganti, Mohamed Lamkanfi

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.

Virulence
|March 23, 2011
PubMed

Insights

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a nuclear protein now recognized as an extracellular danger signal. Inflammasomes critically mediate the release of HMGB1 from immune cells during inflammation and infection.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a conserved nuclear protein involved in DNA replication, repair, and gene transcription.
  • Emerging research highlights extracellular HMGB1's role as a danger signal regulating inflammatory and repair processes.
  • HMGB1 is released from damaged cells or secreted by activated immune cells during infection, injury, and sterile inflammation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of inflammasomes in the extracellular release of High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1).

Main Methods:

  • Studies on immune cell activation and infection models.
  • Analysis of HMGB1 release mechanisms.
  • Investigation of inflammasome complex involvement.

Main Results:

  • Inflammasomes, which are caspase-1-activating protein complexes, play a crucial role in the extracellular release of HMGB1.
  • This release occurs from activated and infected immune cells.

Conclusions:

  • Inflammasomes are key mediators of extracellular HMGB1 release from immune cells.
  • Understanding this mechanism is vital for comprehending inflammatory and repair responses.
  • HMGB1's dual role, nuclear and extracellular, is increasingly recognized.

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