The nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat/pyrin domain-containing-3 (NALP3) inflammasome, which is required for synthesis of interleukin-1β, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several autoinflammatory syndromes. This review of the literature summarizes the interconnectedness of NALP3 inflammasome with some of these disorders. Familial Mediterranean fever results from a mutation...

Type III secretion systems (T3SS) are central virulence factors for many pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria, and secreted T3SS effectors can block key aspects of host cell signaling. To counter this, innate immune responses can also sense some T3SS components to initiate anti-bacterial mechanisms. The Yersinia pestis T3SS is particularly effective and sophisticated in manipulating the production...

Introduction Mutations in the genes encoding pyrin and mevalonate kinase (MVK) cause the autoinflammatory diseases familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) and hyperimmunoglobulinemia D syndrome (HIDS), respectively. The inflammation of both diseases is mediated by interleukin-1b (IL-1b). Recently it has been reported that pyrin forms an inflammasome, a multiprotein complex that mediates the maturati...

Pathogenic Yersinia, including Y. pestis, the agent of plague in humans, and Y. pseudotuberculosis, the related enteric pathogen, deliver virulence effectors into host cells via a prototypical type III secretion system to promote pathogenesis. These effectors, termed Yersinia outer proteins (Yops), modulate multiple host signaling responses. Studies in Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis have s...

Introduction Pyrin protein is the product of the MEFV gene, mutations in which cause the manifestation of Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF). Complete tertiary structure of pyrin and the effects of mutations on it are still experimentally not studied. Mutations E148Q, M680I, M694V, M694I, V726A, A744S and R761H of pyrin induce manifestation of the most widespread and severe forms of FMF. One st...

OBJECTIVE To search for pyrin mutations associated with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) in Greece. PATIENTS AND METHODS 62 patients fulfilling the Tel Hashomer diagnostic criteria for definite (33) or probable (29) FMF diagnosis were studied. Eight point mutations of pyrin gene were tested by standard methods. Of the 62 patients tested, 48 were Greek, four were Jewish, seven were Armenian,...

The genetic bases for several human autoinflammatory syndromes have recently been identified, and the mutated proteins responsible for these diseases are rapidly being characterized. Here, we examine two of these newly identified proteins, pyrin (also called marenostrin, product of the familial Mediterranean fever locus, MEFV) and cryopyrin (product of the CAIS1 locus, and mutated in familial c...

Burkholderia cenocepacia is an opportunistic pathogen that causes chronic infection and induces progressive respiratory inflammation in cystic fibrosis patients. Recognition of bacteria by mononuclear cells generally results in the activation of caspase-1 and processing of IL-1β, a major proinflammatory cytokine. In this study, we report that human pyrin is required to detect intracellular B. c...