H.M. Bligh Cancer Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA.
Cell Host Microbe. 2011 May 19;9(5):363-75. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2011.04.008.
Inflammasomes are cytoplasmic sensors of foreign molecules, including pathogens, and function to induce caspase-1 activation and IL-1β cytokine maturation. Whether such a mechanism exists in the nucleus and is effective against nuclear replicating pathogens is unknown. Nuclear replicating herpesvirus KSHV is associated with Kaposi Sarcoma, an angioproliferative tumor characterized by an inflammatory microenvironment including IL-1β. We demonstrate that during KSHV infection of endothelial cells, interferon gamma-inducible protein 16 (IFI16) interacts with the adaptor molecule ASC and procaspase-1 to form a functional inflammasome. This complex was initially detected in the nucleus and subsequently in the perinuclear area. KSHV gene expression and/or latent KSHV genome is required for inflammasome activation and IFI16 colocalizes with the KSHV genome in the infected cell nucleus. Caspase-1 activation by KSHV was reduced by IFI16 and ASC silencing. Our studies reveal IFI16 as a nuclear pathogen sensor and demonstrate that the inflammasome also functions in the nucleus.
炎症小体是细胞质中外源分子(包括病原体)的传感器,其功能是诱导半胱氨酸天冬氨酸蛋白酶-1(caspase-1)的激活和白细胞介素-1β(IL-1β)细胞因子的成熟。目前尚不清楚这种机制是否存在于细胞核中,并对核内复制的病原体有效。核内复制的疱疹病毒 KSHV 与卡波西肉瘤有关,卡波西肉瘤是一种血管增生性肿瘤,其特征是炎症微环境,包括白细胞介素-1β。我们证明,在 KSHV 感染血管内皮细胞期间,干扰素γ诱导蛋白 16(IFI16)与衔接子分子 ASC 和前半胱氨酸天冬氨酸蛋白酶-1相互作用,形成功能性炎症小体。该复合物最初在细胞核中检测到,随后在核周区检测到。KSHV 基因表达和/或潜伏的 KSHV 基因组是炎症小体激活所必需的,并且 IFI16 在感染细胞的细胞核中与 KSHV 基因组共定位。IFI16 和 ASC 的沉默降低了 KSHV 对 caspase-1 的激活。我们的研究揭示了 IFI16 作为核病原体传感器,并证明炎症小体也在细胞核中发挥作用。