Human procaspase-1 variants with decreased enzymatic activity are associated with febrile episodes and may contribute to inflammation via RIP2 and NF-κB signaling.

The proinflammatory enzyme caspase-1 plays an important role in the innate immune system and is involved in a variety of inflammatory conditions. Rare naturally occurring human variants of the caspase-1 gene (CASP1) lead to different protein expression and structure and to decreased or absent enzymatic activity. Paradoxically, a significant number of patients with such variants suffer from febrile episodes despite decreased IL-1β production and secretion. In this study, we investigate how variant (pro)caspase-1 can possibly contribute to inflammation. In a transfection model, such variant procaspase-1 binds receptor interacting protein kinase 2 (RIP2) via Caspase activation and recruitment domain (CARD)/CARD interaction and thereby activates NF-κB, whereas wild-type procaspase-1 reduces intracellular RIP2 levels by enzymatic cleavage and release into the supernatant. We approach the protein interactions by coimmunoprecipitation and confocal microscopy and show that NF-κB activation is inhibited by anti-RIP2-short hairpin RNA and by the expression of a RIP2 CARD-only protein. In conclusion, variant procaspase-1 binds RIP2 and thereby activates NF-κB. This pathway could possibly contribute to proinflammatory signaling.