Cryptosporidium

Intestinal parasite

Biology

Microbiology

Pattern recognition receptor

Proinflammatory cytokine

Innate immune system

Helminths

Immunology

Inflammation

Inflammasome

Cryptosporidium parvum

Small intestine

Enterocyte

Biochemistry

Feces

Immune system

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Significance The intestinal immune system is able to control pathogens while tolerating and interpreting microbial cues from an abundant microbiome. The mechanisms of innate recognition are crucial to differentiating between pathogen and commensal in this tissue and to mounting an appropriate inflammatory response. Persistent inflammation can alter the cellular architecture and physiology of the gut and have lasting impact on the nutritional state of children who face frequent infection with certain enteric pathogens. We demonstrate that the widespread parasite Cryptosporidium acts as a potent trigger for an enterocyte-intrinsic inflammasome that depends on the NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-6 and results in the local release of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-18.

The intestinal parasite <i>Cryptosporidium</i> is controlled by an enterocyte intrinsic inflammasome that depends on NLRP6

The intestinal parasite Cryptosporidium is controlled by an enterocyte intrinsic inflammasome that depends on NLRP6