An Update on Autoinflammatory Diseases: Inflammasomopathies

Mutations of pyrin and mevalonate kinase (MVK) cause distinct interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-mediated autoinflammatory diseases, familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) and hyperimmunoglobulinemia D syndrome (HIDS). Pyrin forms an inflammasome when mutated or in response to bacterial modification of the GTPase RhoA. Here we show that RhoA activates the serine-threonine kinases PKN1 and PKN2 that bind and phosphorylate pyrin. Phosphorylated pyrin binds 14-3-3 proteins, which block the pyrin inflammasome. The binding of 14-3-3 and PKN proteins to FMF-associated mutant pyrin is substantially decreased, and the constitutive IL-1β release from FMF or HIDS patients’ peripheral blood mononuclear cells is attenuated by activating PKN1 and PKN2. Defects in prenylation, seen in HIDS, lead to RhoA inactivation and consequent pyrin inflammasome activation. These data indicate a previously unsuspected fundamental molecular connection between two seemingly distinct autoinflammatory disorders.

Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) form a critical barrier against pathogen invasion. By generation of mice in which inflammasome expression is restricted to IECs, we describe a coordinated epithelium-intrinsic inflammasome response in vivo. This response was sufficient to protect against Salmonella tissue invasion and involved a previously reported IEC expulsion that was coordinated with lipid mediator and cytokine production and lytic IEC death. Excessive inflammasome activation in IECs was sufficient to result in diarrhea and pathology. Experiments with IEC organoids demonstrated that IEC expulsion did not require other cell types. IEC expulsion was accompanied by a major actin rearrangement in neighboring cells that maintained epithelium integrity but did not absolutely require Caspase-1 or Gasdermin D. Analysis of Casp1(-/-)Casp8(-/-) mice revealed a functional Caspase-8 inflammasome in vivo. Thus, a coordinated IEC-intrinsic, Caspase-1 and -8 inflammasome response plays a key role in intestinal immune defense and pathology.

Innate immune responses are triggered in response to the sensing of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) or damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). An emerging idea is that inflammasome activation may also occur independently of PRR activation following a disturbance in cellular homeostasis. The authors explore this concept and the implications for chronic inflammatory disease in this Opinion article.