Inhibition of the inflammasome response by a viral protein that interacts with NLRs

Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) constitute the first line of host defense against bacterial, fungal and viral pathogens. Upon sensing microbial infection, PRRs initiate a cascade of signal transduction and transcriptional events to induce the production of inflammatory cytokines. As a result, many pathogens have evolved to evade PRR detection and activation in order to establish a successful infection. In a recent report, we described how a viral protein named Orf63 encoded by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) inhibits activation of several members of a family of PRRs called NLRs (nucleotide-binding and oligomerization, leucine-rich repeat) by functionally inhibiting the NLR response. This resulted in reduced NLR-dependent pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion and cell death. Moreover, Orf63 was essential in the KSHV lifecycle. Thus, our work suggests KSHV has evolved to encode a functional homolog of NLR proteins in an effort to suppress the host inflammatory response.