Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Detection of Inflammasome Activation and Pyroptotic Cell Death in Murine Bone Marrow-derived Macrophages
Published on: May 21, 2018
AIM2 inflammasome activation and regulation: A structural perspective
1Department of Biological Science and Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, United States.
Abstract:
Absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasome is a multi-protein platform that recognizes aberrant cytoplasmic dsDNA and induces cytokine maturation, release and pyroptosis. It is composed of AIM2, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), and caspase-1. Recent X-ray crystallographic and high resolution cryo-electron microscopic (cryo-EM) studies have revealed a series of structures in AIM2 inflammasome activation and regulation. One prominent feature common in multiple steps is the assembly of high-order structures, especially helical filaments nucleated by upstream molecules, rather than stoichiometric complexes. In this review, we track the AIM2 inflammasome activation process step by step, using high-resolution structures to illustrate the overall architecture of AIM2 inflammasome and its assembly and regulatory mechanisms.
Related Concept Videos
The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway
Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
Some...
Assembly of Signaling Complexes
Interaction domains in cell signaling
Interaction domains recognize exposed features of their binding partners containing post-translationally modified sequences,...
Caspases
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway

