| First Author | Richards N | Year | 2001 |
| Journal | J Biol Chem | Volume | 276 |
| Issue | 42 | Pages | 39320-9 |
| PubMed ID | 11498534 | Mgi Jnum | J:72189 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:2151977 | Doi | 10.1074/jbc.M104730200 |
| Citation | Richards N, et al. (2001) Interaction between Pyrin and the Apoptotic Speck Protein (ASC) Modulates ASC-induced Apoptosis. J Biol Chem 276(42):39320-9 |
| abstractText | Patients with familial Mediterranean fever suffer sporadic inflammatory attacks characterized by fever and intense pain (in joints, abdomen, or chest). Pyrin, the product of the MEFV locus, is a cytosolic protein whose function is unknown. Using pyrin as a 'bait' to probe a yeast two-hybrid library made from neutrophil cDNA, we isolated apoptotic speck protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (CARD) (ASC), a proapoptotic protein that induces the formation of large cytosolic 'specks' in transfected cells. We found that when HeLa cells are transfected with ASC, specks are formed. After co-transfection of cells with ASC plus wild type pyrin, an increase in speck-positive cells is found, and speck-positive cells show increased survival. Immunofluorescence studies show that pyrin co-localizes with ASC in specks. Speck localization requires exon 1 of pyrin, but exon 1 alone of pyrin does not result in an increase in the number of specks. Exon 1 of pyrin and exon 1 of ASC show 42% sequence similarity and resemble death domain-related structures in modeling studies. These findings link pyrin to apoptosis pathways and suggest that the modulation of cell survival may be a component of the pathophysiology of familial Mediterranean fever. |
