Analysis of Cytokine- and Influenza A Virus-Driven RIPK3 Necrosome Formation

In multicellular organisms, regulated cell death plays a vital role in development, adult tissue homeostasis, and clearance of damaged or infected cells. Necroptosis is one such form of regulated cell death, characterized by its reliance on receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3). Once activated, RIPK3 nucleates a protein complex, termed the "necrosome," which includes the adaptors RIPK1 and FADD, and the effector protein MLKL. From the necrosome, RIPK3 phosphorylates MLKL to drive necroptosis, and can also induce RIPK1/FADD-mediated apoptosis, via caspase-8. Assembly of the necrosome thus serves as a useful readout of RIPK3 activation. In this chapter, we describe molecular methods for examining necrosome activation in response to the cytokines TNF-α, IFN-β, and IFN-γ, and upon infection with influenza A virus (IAV).