Figure 2.

The NALP1 and NALP3 inflammasome complexes. Both NALP1 and NALP3 associate through homotypic interactions between CARD, ASC and the PYD domains. NALP3 requires a secondary adaptor protein Cardinal to facilitate the activation of caspase-1 and the subsequent cleavage of pro-IL-1, in addition to the adaptor protein ASC. This is not required for the NALP1 inflammasome, which has additional FIIND and CARD domains attached to the core NALP1 protein. ASC, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein; CARD, caspase activation and recruitment; FIIND, domain with a function to find; IL, interleukin; LRR, leucine rich repeat; NALP, NACHT, leucine rich repeat and pyrin domain containing 1; PYD, pyrin domain.