Phosphorylation of the adaptor ASC acts as a molecular switch that controls the formation of speck-like aggregates and inflammasome activity

Nat Immunol. 2013 Dec;14(12):1247-55. doi: 10.1038/ni.2749. Epub 2013 Nov 3.

Abstract

The inflammasome adaptor ASC contributes to innate immunity through the activation of caspase-1. Here we found that signaling pathways dependent on the kinases Syk and Jnk were required for the activation of caspase-1 via the ASC-dependent inflammasomes NLRP3 and AIM2. Inhibition of Syk or Jnk abolished the formation of ASC specks without affecting the interaction of ASC with NLRP3. ASC was phosphorylated during inflammasome activation in a Syk- and Jnk-dependent manner, which suggested that Syk and Jnk are upstream of ASC phosphorylation. Moreover, phosphorylation of Tyr144 in mouse ASC was critical for speck formation and caspase-1 activation. Our results suggest that phosphorylation of ASC controls inflammasome activity through the formation of ASC specks.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • Bone Marrow Cells / immunology
  • Bone Marrow Cells / metabolism
  • CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / immunology
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Caspase 1 / immunology
  • Caspase 1 / metabolism
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / genetics
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / immunology*
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Dendritic Cells / metabolism
  • Female
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Inflammasomes / genetics
  • Inflammasomes / immunology*
  • Inflammasomes / metabolism
  • Interleukin-18 / immunology
  • Interleukin-18 / metabolism
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / immunology*
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism
  • JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / genetics
  • JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / immunology*
  • JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Macrophages / drug effects
  • Macrophages / immunology
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein
  • Nigericin / pharmacology
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / immunology
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation / immunology
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / immunology*
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • RNA Interference
  • Syk Kinase
  • Tyrosine / genetics
  • Tyrosine / immunology
  • Tyrosine / metabolism

Substances

  • Aim2 protein, mouse
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Inflammasomes
  • Interleukin-18
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein
  • Nlrp3 protein, mouse
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Pycard protein, mouse
  • Tyrosine
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • SYK protein, human
  • Syk Kinase
  • Syk protein, mouse
  • JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Caspase 1
  • Nigericin