TLR‐induced NF‐κB activation regulates NLRP3 expression in murine macrophages

Abstract

NLRP3 inflammasome plays a critical role in the activation of caspase‐1 and maturation of IL‐1β. However, the specific cis‐ and trans‐regulatory elements that determine the extent of NLRP3 expression are not well defined. In this study, we found NLRP3 expression was induced by TLR agonists in murine macrophages in a NF‐κB dependent manner. Furthermore, the corresponding NF‐κB binding sites (nt −1303 to −1292 and −1238 to −1228) were identified in the NLRP3 promoter. Finally, EMSA and ChIP assays demonstrated LPS‐induced NF‐κB binding to the NLRP3 promoter. Therefore, out results delineated the molecular mechanisms involved in TLR‐induced transcriptional regulation of NLRP3.