The signaling adaptor protein ASC (red) assembles long filaments to induce inflammation. (Image: University of Basel, Biozentrum)
The inflammasome plays an important role in our body's immune defense. This protein complex initiates an emergency program in the immune cells when invaded by a pathogen. In 'Nature ', a research team from the University of Basel's Biozentrum reports that a specific inflammasome protein forms long filaments to amplify the inflammatory reaction. Immune cells are very sensitive to the presence of pathogens. When pathogens invade these cells, a protein complex - the inflammasome - is activated. Prof. Petr Broz's team at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel demonstrated that this complex forms long filaments, which enables it to activate large amounts of messenger substances simultaneously and thus trigger severe inflammatory reactions. However, the study revealed that inflammasome-mediated cell death is not dependent on the formation of filaments.
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