Oxidized thioredoxin-1 restrains the NLRP1 inflammasome [NTERT-1]
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ABSTRACT: The danger signals that activate the NLRP1 inflammasome have yet to be firmly established. NLRP1 undergoes autoproteolysis to generate N-terminal (NT) and C-terminal (CT) fragment, which importantly, is a necessary step for its check-point regulation by the DPP9 ternary complex and the mechanistic activation of NLRP1 through functional degradation. Here, we report an added layer of regulatory complexity to NLRP1 activity, in the form of a repressive interaction that NLRP1 forms with the oxidized, but not reduced, form of thioredoxin-1 (TRX1). Loss of TRX1 destabilizes the NT fragment of NLRP1 and promotes enhanced inflammasome activation. The TRX1 interaction occurs through the NACHT-LRR of NLRP1 and requires nucleotide binding in its ATPase domain. In addition, we found that several patient-derived and ATPase-inactivating mutations in the NACHT-LRR region hyperactive the inflammasome by destabilize protein folding and are also shown to abrogate TRX1 binding. Thus, NLRP1 appears to detect intracellular reductive stress through a decrease in the fraction of intracellular oxidized TRX1, which enhances protein disorder, leading to inflammasome signaling. These findings link the cellular redox environment to NLRP1-mediated innate immunity.
Project description:The danger signals that activate the NLRP1 inflammasome have yet to be firmly established. NLRP1 undergoes autoproteolysis to generate N-terminal (NT) and C-terminal (CT) fragment, which importantly, is a necessary step for its check-point regulation by the DPP9 ternary complex and the mechanistic activation of NLRP1 through functional degradation. Here, we report an added layer of regulatory complexity to NLRP1 activity, in the form of a repressive interaction that NLRP1 forms with the oxidized, but not reduced, form of thioredoxin-1 (TRX1). Loss of TRX1 destabilizes the NT fragment of NLRP1 and promotes enhanced inflammasome activation. The TRX1 interaction occurs through the NACHT-LRR of NLRP1 and requires nucleotide binding in its ATPase domain. In addition, we found that several patient-derived and ATPase-inactivating mutations in the NACHT-LRR region hyperactive the inflammasome by destabilize protein folding and are also shown to abrogate TRX1 binding. Thus, NLRP1 appears to detect intracellular reductive stress through a decrease in the fraction of intracellular oxidized TRX1, which enhances protein disorder, leading to inflammasome signaling. These findings link the cellular redox environment to NLRP1-mediated innate immunity.
Project description:Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes formed in response to pathogens. NLRP1 and CARD8 are related proteins that form inflammasomes, but the pathogen-associated signal(s) and the molecular mechanisms controlling their activation have not been established. Inhibitors of the serine dipeptidyl peptidases DPP8 and DPP9 (DPP8/9) were recently discovered to activate both NLRP1 and CARD8. Interestingly, DPP9 binds directly to NLRP1 and CARD8, and this interaction, in addition to DPP9’s catalytic activity, may contribute to the inhibition of NLRP1. Here, we use activity-based probes, reconstituted inflammasome assays, and mass spectrometry-based proteomics to further investigate the DPP9-CARD8 interaction. We show that the DPP9-CARD8 interaction, unlike the DPP9-NLRP1 interaction, is not disrupted by DPP9 inhibitors or mutations that block autoproteolysis. Moreover, wild-type, but not catalytically-inactive mutant, DPP9 rescues CARD8-mediated cell death in DPP9 knockout cells. Together, this work reveals DPP9 activity and not direct protein binding restrains the CARD8 inflammasome, and suggests the binding interaction likely serves some other biological purpose.
Project description:Activation of the NACHT, LRR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome complex is an essential innate immune signalling mechanism. To reveal how NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and activation are controlled, in particular by components of the ubiquitin system, proximity labelling, affinity purification and RNAi screening approaches were performed. Our study provides an intricate time-resolved molecular map of different phases of NLRP3 inflammasome activation. We discovered that ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase 1 (UCH-L1) interacts with the NACHT domain of NLRP3, and downregulation of UCH-L1 decreases pro-IL-1β levels. UCH-L1 chemical inhibition with small molecules interfered with NLRP3 puncta formation and ASC oligomerisation, leading to altered IL-1β cleavage and secretion, particularly in microglia cells, which exhibited elevated UCH-L1 expression as compared to monocytes/macrophages. Altogether, we profiled NLRP3 inflammasome activation dynamics and highlight UCH-L1 as an important modulator of NLRP3-mediated IL-1β production, suggesting that a pharmacological inhibitor of UCH-L1 may decrease inflammation-associated pathologies.
Project description:To analyze the pathogenic mechanism of the autoinflammatory skin syndromes caused by an NLRP1 mutation, we sought to generate Nlrp1b mutation knock-in mice mice as a mouse model of cutaneous autoinflammatory lesions due to NLRP1 mutants, and examine the expression of proteins, such as cytokines, and the mRNA expression profile, including inflammasome-related genes in the model lesions.
Project description:We profiled the transcriptional changes in N/TERT-1 immortalized keratinocytes after doxycylin induction of gain-of-function mutants of the inflammasome sensor protein NLRP1.
Project description:To find cellular protein binding partners of the NLRP1 inflammasome, FLAG-tagged full length NLRP1 (or a GFP-FLAG protein control) was ectopically expressed in HEK 293T cells and affinity purified from cell lysates (Note: the NLRP1-FLAG-containing lysate samples were affinity purified in the presence or absence of excess proline) before proteins were reduced, alkylated, and trypsinized before TMT labelling and pooling of the differentially tested lysates to give three conditions (1. NLRP1-FLAG; 2. GFP-FLAG; 3. NLRP1-FLAG+proline) in duplicate. These data represent the results following sample and data processing.
Project description:Immune response genes are disproportionately polymorphic in humans and mice, with heterogeneity amongst loci driving strain specific host defense responses. The inadvertent retention of polymorphic loci can confound results, lead to false conclusions, and delay scientific progress. By combining RNAseq and variant calling analyses, we identify a substantial region of 129S genome, including the highly polymorphic Nlrp1 locus proximal to Nlrp3, in one of the most commonly used mouse models of NLRP3 deficiency. We show that 129S NLRP1 can be tolerated at higher expression levels at steady-state, however this sensitizes Nlrp3-/- mice to NLRP1 inflammasome activation. Furthermore, the presence of 129S genome leads to altered gene and protein regulation across multiple cell-types, including of the key tissue-resident macrophage marker, TIM4. In order to resolve NLRP3 dependent phenotypes we validate a conditional Nlrp3 allele enabling temporal and cell-type specific control of NLRP3 deletion. Our study provides an accessible strategy to identify functionally relevant SNPs and assess genomic contamination in transgenic mice, to allow for unambiguous attribution of phenotypes to the target gene.