NOD-like receptors and the innate immune system: Coping with danger, damage and death

Kersse, Kristof; Bertrand, Mathieu J.M.; Lamkanfi, Mohamed; Vandenabeele, Peter

doi:10.1016/j.cytogfr.2011.09.003

« Previous Next »Cytokine & Growth Factor Reviews
Volume 22, Issue 5 , Pages 257-276, October 2011

NOD-like receptors and the innate immune system: Coping with danger, damage and death

Kristof Kersse
- VIB, Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, Unit for Molecular Signaling and Cell Death, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Ghent University, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Unit for Molecular Signaling and Cell Death, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
Mathieu J.M. Bertrand
- VIB, Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, Unit for Molecular Signaling and Cell Death, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Ghent University, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Unit for Molecular Signaling and Cell Death, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
Mohamed Lamkanfi
- Department of Medical Protein Research, VIB, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
- These authors share senior authorship.
Peter Vandenabeele
- VIB, Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, Unit for Molecular Signaling and Cell Death, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Ghent University, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Unit for Molecular Signaling and Cell Death, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
- These authors share senior authorship.
- Corresponding author at: Ghent University, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Unit for Molecular Signaling and Cell Death, Technologiepark 927, B-9052 Ghent (Zwijnaarde), Belgium. Tel.: +32 9 3313760; fax: +32 9 3313609.

published online 13 October 2011.

Abstract

Members of the family of NOD-like receptors (NLRs) play essential roles in innate immunity by detecting intracellular ‘pathogen-associated molecular patterns’ (PAMPs) and ‘danger-associated molecular patterns’ (DAMPs). These molecules reveal the presence of pathogenic infection, abiotic stress, environmental insults, cellular damage, and cell death. NLR family members can be divided in two functional groups. One group consists of intracellular receptors, such as NLRP1, NLRP3, NLRP6 and NLRC4, which mediate the assembly of inflammasome complexes leading to the activation of procaspase-1. The second group includes members such as NOD1 and NOD2, and mediates the assembly of complexes that activate MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways. We review the roles of NLR family members in health and disease, with emphasis on the signaling mechanisms in cell death and inflammation.

Keywords: NOD-like receptors, Pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), Danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), Inflammasome, Innate immunity