COPs and POPs Patrol Inflammasome Activation

Abstract

Sensing and responding to pathogens and tissue damage is a core mechanism of innate immune host defense, and inflammasomes represent a central cytosolic pattern recognition receptor pathway leading to the generation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β and interleukin-18 and pyroptotic cell death that causes the subsequent release of danger signals to propagate and perpetuate inflammatory responses. While inflammasome activation is essential for host defense, deregulated inflammasome responses and excessive release of inflammatory cytokines and danger signals are linked to an increasing spectrum of inflammatory diseases. In this review, we will discuss recent developments in elucidating the role of PYRIN domain-only proteins (POPs) and the related CARD-only proteins (COPs) in regulating inflammasome responses and their impact on inflammatory disease.

The Salmonella pathogenicity island-2 subverts human NLRP3 and NLRC4 inflammasome responses

“…In HMDM, however, VX765 pretreatment ablated infection‐induced cell death, suggesting that caspase‐1/4 is the sole driver of this response in primary cells. Human‐specific inflammasome regulators (e.g., CARD‐ and Pyrin‐only proteins, COPs and POPs) may also modulate human inflammasome responses to infection.…”

Innate immunity in allergy

“…The overall composition of NLRs is not well characterized yet, but it is important to uncover the role of NLRs, especially in the inflammasome (Section 7). Studies on additional small molecules, such as PYD‐only proteins (POPs) family (Figure ) and CARD‐only proteins (COPs) family, may provide a more detailed mechanism …”

Differential expression of inflammasome regulatory transcripts in periodontal disease

“…The inflammasome complex is a signaling center that regulates innate immune processes triggered in response to infections and foreign substances . Several different types of inflammasomes have been identified, including NLRP2 (NLR family, pyrin domain containing 2), NLRP3, and AIM2 (absent in melanoma 2) . The inflammasome is regulated by different proteins and processes, including pyrin domain (PYD)‐only proteins (POPs) and CARD‐only proteins (COPs), tripartite motif family proteins (TRIMs), autophagy, and interferons .…”