Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2025
09:04
Activation and Measurement of NLRP3 Inflammasome Activity Using IL-1β in Human Monocyte-derived Dendritic Cells
Published on: May 22, 2014
21.0K
Inflammasome-Independent Roles of NLR and ALR Family Members
Suman Gupta1,2, Suzanne L Cassel1,2, Fayyaz S Sutterwala3,4
1Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|August 14, 2023
Summary
Pattern recognition receptors like NLRs and ALRs are crucial for immune responses. This study explores the inflammasome-independent functions of NLRC4, NLRP12, and AIM2 in immunity.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
- Cellular Biology
Background:
- Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) are vital for detecting pathogen- and host-derived danger signals.
- NLR and ALR family members, such as NLRP1, NLRP3, NLRC4, and AIM2, can form inflammasomes to activate caspase-1.
- Beyond inflammasome formation, some PRRs have critical inflammasome-independent roles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the inflammasome-independent functions of specific NLR and ALR family members.
- To examine the roles of NLRC4, NLRP12, and AIM2 in regulating innate and adaptive immunity outside of inflammasome complexes.
Main Methods:
- Investigating the molecular mechanisms of NLRC4, NLRP12, and AIM2.
- Analyzing the impact of these proteins on immune cell activation and function.
- Utilizing genetic and biochemical approaches to dissect inflammasome-independent pathways.
Main Results:
- NLRC4, NLRP12, and AIM2 exhibit significant functions independent of inflammasome assembly.
- These inflammasome-independent activities are critical for modulating innate immune responses.
- The study identifies novel regulatory roles for these receptors in adaptive immunity.
Conclusions:
- NLRC4, NLRP12, and AIM2 possess crucial inflammasome-independent functions.
- These functions are integral to the orchestration of both innate and adaptive immunity.
- Understanding these pathways offers new therapeutic targets for immune-related diseases.
Related Concept Videos
02:26NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway
7.5K
The transcription factor NF-κB was discovered in 1986 in the lab of Nobel laureate Professor David Baltimore, for its interaction with the immunoglobulin light chain enhancer in B-cells. After more than three decades of study, it is now evident that NF-κB regulates the expression of over 100 genes. Most of these genes play an essential role in the innate and adaptive immune responses as well as the inflammatory responses of animals.
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The...
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The...
7.5K
01:31Regulation of the Unfolded Protein Response
2.5K
Inositol-requiring kinase one or IRE1 is the most conserved eukaryotic unfolded protein response (UPR) receptor. It is a type I transmembrane protein kinase receptor with a distinctive site-specific RNase activity. As the binding mechanics of the misfolded proteins with the N-terminal domain of IRE-1 are unclear, three binding models — direct, indirect, and allosteric -- are proposed for receptor activation. Nevertheless, it is known that once a misfolded protein associates with IRE1, it...
2.5K
01:37The Unfolded Protein Response
4.7K
The ER is the hub of protein synthesis in a cell. It has robust systems to quality control protein folding and also for degradation of terminally misfolded proteins. Under normal conditions, a small proportion of misfolded proteins that cannot be salvaged need to be transported to the cytoplasm by the ER-associated degradation or ERAD pathways. However, if the ERAD cannot handle the misfolded proteins, the cell activates the unfolded protein response or UPR to adjust the protein folding...
4.7K
01:45Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting
2.4K
Nuclear protein sorting regulates nucleus composition and gene expression, crucial for determining the fate of a eukaryotic cell. Hence, the entry and exit of molecules across the nuclear envelope is a tightly controlled process. Nuclear protein sorting can be inhibited by one of the following ways: 1) masking cargo signal sequences, 2) modifying the nuclear receptor's affinity for cargo, 3) controlling the nuclear pore size, 4) retaining the cargo during its transit to the cytosol or the...
2.4K
02:39lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs
8.6K
In humans, more than 80% of the genome gets transcribed. However, only around 2% of the genome codes for proteins. The remaining part produces non-coding RNAs which includes ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, telomerase RNAs, and regulatory RNAs, among other types. A large number of regulatory non-coding RNAs have been classified into two groups depending upon their length – small non-coding RNAs, such as microRNA, which are less than 200 nucleotides in length, and long non-coding RNA...
8.6K
01:24Caspases
12.6K
Caspase, a family of cysteine proteases, serve as effectors in apoptosis. The ced3 gene in C.elegans was first identified to be involved in apoptosis. This gene encodes the ced-3 caspase that is similar to the interleukin-1-beta converting enzyme or ICE in mammals. In addition to apoptosis, caspases also function in the inflammatory response. Inflammatory caspases are essential in activating pro-inflammatory cytokines that recruit immune cells and block the replication of pathogens inside...
12.6K