Dicer regulates activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome

PLoS One. 2019 Apr 23;14(4):e0215689. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215689. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Inflammation plays a critical role in initiation of adaptive immunity, pathogen clearance and tissue repair. Interleukin (IL)-1β is a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine and therefore its production is tightly regulated: its secretion requires the assembly of a macromolecular protein complex, termed the inflammasome. Aberrant activation of the inflammasome has been linked to debilitating human diseases including chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Thus, there is a great interest in understanding how inflammasomes are regulated. Here we show that Dicer, an enzyme necessary for the production of mature micro-RNAs (miRNAs), is required for optimal activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes in bone marrow macrophages. Our data indicate that miRNAs may play an important role in promoting inflammasome activation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Computational Biology
  • DEAD-box RNA Helicases / genetics
  • DEAD-box RNA Helicases / metabolism*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation / immunology
  • Immunity, Innate / genetics*
  • Inflammasomes / immunology*
  • Inflammasomes / metabolism
  • Macrophages
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism*
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein / immunology
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein / metabolism
  • Primary Cell Culture
  • Ribonuclease III / genetics
  • Ribonuclease III / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Up-Regulation

Substances

  • Aim2 protein, mouse
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Inflammasomes
  • MicroRNAs
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein
  • Nlrp3 protein, mouse
  • Dicer1 protein, mouse
  • Ribonuclease III
  • DEAD-box RNA Helicases

Grants and funding

This work was funded by York University startup funds to AA-S and the Alpha Foundation to DMO. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.