Cited by 166Inflammasome and immune disordersImmune Response and InflammationNeutrophil, Myeloperoxidase and Oxidative Mechanisms

Inflammasomes Coordinate Pyroptosis and Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity to Clear Infection by a Ubiquitous Environmental Bacterium

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Maltez, Vivien I., Tubbs, Alan L., Cook, Kevin D., Aachoui, Youssef, Falcone, E. Liana, Holland, Steven M., Whitmire, Jason K., Miao, Edward A.·2015·Immunity

Abstract

Defective neutrophils in patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) cause susceptibility to extracellular and intracellular infections. Microbes must first be ejected from intracellular niches to expose them to neutrophil attack, so we hypothesized that inflammasomes detect certain CGD pathogens upstream of neutrophil killing. Here, we identified one such ubiquitous environmental bacterium, Chromobacterium violaceum, whose extreme virulence was fully counteracted by the NLRC4 inflammasome. Caspase-1 protected via two parallel pathways that eliminated intracellular replication niches. Pyroptosis was the primary bacterial clearance mechanism in the spleen, but both pyroptosis and interleukin-18 (IL-18)-driven natural killer (NK) cell responses were required for liver defense. NK cells cleared hepatocyte replication niches via perforin-dependent cytotoxicity, whereas interferon-γ was not required. These insights suggested a therapeutic approach: exogenous IL-18 restored perforin-dependent cytotoxicity during infection by the inflammasome-evasive bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. Therefore, inflammasomes can trigger complementary programmed cell death mechanisms, directing sterilizing immunity against intracellular bacterial pathogens.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.immuni.2015.10.010

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Authors
Maltez, V. I., Tubbs, A. L., Cook, K. D., Aachoui, Y., Falcone, E. L., Holland, S. M., Whitmire, J. K., & Miao, E. A.
Affiliations
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
  • National Institutes of Health (US)
Corresponding author
Miao, Edward A.
Venue
Immunity
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2015-11
Volume
43
Issue
5
Pages
987-997
ISSN
1074-7613 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2111822935
Cited by
165
References
50
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 30 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 9
FWCI
6.65
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Immunity (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (submittedVersion)
  • UNC Libraries
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (T32 AI7273-27, AI057141)
  • National Cancer Institute (P30CA016086)
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (T32AI7273-27, R01AI119073, U54AI057141, AI119073, R01AI074862, AI097518-02S1, R56AI110682, T32AI007273, R01AI097518, AI097518, AI057141)
  • Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (P30-CA016086)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Inflammasome and immune disorders
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immune Response and Inflammation
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Neutrophil, Myeloperoxidase and Oxidative Mechanisms
Keywords
inflammasome, NLRC4 inflammasome, pyroptosis, natural killer cells, NK cell cytotoxicity, perforin, Chromobacterium violaceum, chronic granulomatous disease, caspase-1, IL-18, Listeria monocytogenes, intracellular bacterial pathogens, bacterial clearance, liver infection, spleen, sterilizing immunity
MeSH terms
Pyroptosis, Animals, Bacterial Infections, Calcium-Binding Proteins, Chromobacterium, Granulomatous Disease, Chronic, Interferon-gamma, Killer Cells, Natural, Listeriosis, Listeria monocytogenes, Liver, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Neutrophils, Spleen, Cell Death, Caspase 1, Interleukin-18, Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins, Mice, Inflammasomes

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