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Monitoring inflammasome activation by analysing ASC specks and oligomerisation
Diva Sinha1, Sonia S Shah1, Sharad Kumar2
1Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Methods in Cell Biology
|April 11, 2026
Summary
This study details methods to analyze inflammasome assembly, focusing on the ASC adaptor protein. These techniques help understand inflammasome activation in response to pathogens and cellular damage.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- The inflammasome is a critical signaling platform in innate immunity.
- It initiates inflammatory responses by detecting microbial and danger signals.
- Inflammasome activation leads to cytokine release and pyroptosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide detailed protocols for analyzing inflammasome assembly.
- To monitor the formation of ASC specks using confocal microscopy.
- To biochemically detect ASC oligomerization via DSS-mediated crosslinking.
Main Methods:
- Confocal microscopy to visualize ASC speck formation.
- DSS-mediated crosslinking to assess ASC oligomerization.
- Biochemical and imaging techniques to study inflammasome complex formation.
Main Results:
- Established protocols for analyzing inflammasome assembly.
- Demonstrated complementary insights from microscopy and biochemical assays.
- Provided methods to study inflammasome spatial organization and activity.
Conclusions:
- The described methods offer robust approaches to study inflammasome assembly.
- These techniques are valuable for understanding inflammasome dynamics in response to various stimuli.
- Complementary analysis of ASC speck formation and oligomerization provides comprehensive insights.
