The PAAD/PYRIN-only protein POP1/ASC2 is a modulator of ASC-mediated nuclear-factor-κB and pro-caspase-1 regulation

Proteins containing PAAD {pyrin, AIM (absent-in-melanoma), ASC [apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (caspase-recruitment domain)] and DD (death domain)-like} (PYRIN, DAPIN) domains are involved in innate immunity, regulating pathways leading to nuclear-factor-κB (NF-κB) and pro-caspase-1 activation. Many PAAD-family proteins have structures reminiscent of Nod-1, a putative intracellular sensor of lipopolysaccharide. Hereditary mutations in some of the PAAD-family genes are associated with auto-inflammatory diseases. Several of these proteins utilize the bipartite PAAD- and CARD-containing adapter protein ASC/TMS-1 (target of methylation-induced silencing) for linking to downstream signalling pathways. In the present paper, we describe characterization of human PAAD-only protein-1 (POP1)/ASC2, which is highly homologous with the PAAD domain of ASC, and which probably originated by gene duplication on chromosome 16. We demonstrate that POP1/ASC2 associates with ASC via PAAD-PAAD interactions and modulates NF-κB and pro-caspase-1 regulation by this adapter protein. In gene transfer experiments, POP1/ASC2 suppressed cytokine-mediated NF-κB activation similar to other PAAD-family proteins previously tested. Immunohistochemical studies showed expression of POP1/ASC2 predominantly in macrophages and granulocytes. We propose that POP1/ASC2 functions as a modulator of multidomain PAAD-containing proteins involved in NF-κB and pro-caspase-1 activation and innate immunity.