NLR Family, Pyrin Domain Containing Protein 8 (NLRP8)

NALPs are cytoplasmic proteins that form a subfamily within the larger CATERPILLER protein family. Most short NALPs, such as NALP8, have an N-terminal pyrin (MEFV) domain (PYD), followed by a NACHT domain, a NACHT-associated domain (NAD), and a C-terminal leucine-rich repeat (LRR) region. The long NALP, NALP1, also has a C-terminal extension containing a function to find domain (FIIND) and a caspase recruitment domain (CARD). NALPs are implicated in the activation of proinflammatory caspases via their involvement in multiprotein complexes called inflammasomes .Tschopp et al. (2003) stated that the NALP8 protein contains 1,029 amino acids and has the typical PYD-NACHT-LRR domain structure found in NALP proteins.