Regulation of the Inflammasome, a Modulator of Caspase-Mediated Cytokine Production

Abstract

Tissue inflammation and inflammatory cytokines can positively affect breast cancer prognosis. By providing a detailed understanding of the mechanism of inflammasome formation and activation, we hope to create the potential for novel inflammation based cancer therapies. The protein, NALP, forms the core of the inflammasome complex. The chief domains of NALP do not express well in bacterial or insect cell expression systems, exhibiting poor expression levels and solubility. The NALP pyrin domain has been successfully produced and purified, and initial crystals of this protein have been produced. Constructs of the adaptor CARDINAL were found to express well, but suffer proteolysis during purification. Full-length constructs of NALP have been produced by baculovirus/SF9 expression; have been observed to exist in monomer/oligomer equilibrium in solution.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA490403

Entities

People

  • Karl R. Schmitz

Organizations

  • University of Pennsylvania

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Breast Cancer
  • Cell Line
  • Cells
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Chemistry
  • Crystal Structure
  • Crystallography
  • Crystals
  • Cytokines
  • Diffraction
  • Inflammasomes
  • Inflammation
  • Neoplasms
  • Oligomers
  • Proteins
  • Scattering
  • X Rays

Readers

  • Cellular and Molecular Pathways of Apoptosis.
  • Molecular Genetics
  • Molecular and genetic basis of cancer.