Gene expression profile in the lung of mice during pneumococcal pneumonia: WT vs NLRP3 inflammasome component-deficient mice

Inflammasomes are multiprotein platforms of caspase-1 activation. The NLRP3 inflammasome is composed of NLRP3, ASC, and procaspase-1. This inflammasome is activated by various endogenous and exogenous stimuli, including pneumococci, and protects from a variety of microbial pathogens. In the present study, we examined the role of NLRP3 inflammasome components in gene expression in the lung during pneumococcal pneumina. Gene expression was measured in the lung of WT, Casp1-/-, Asc-/-, and Nlrp3-/- mice 24 h after intranasal infection with Streptococcus pneuminiae.