1. A crystal-clear mechanism of chronic kidney disease
Christian Kurts 
Kidney International 
Volume 84, Issue 5, Pages (November 2013)
DOI: /ki
Copyright © 2013 International Society of Nephrology Terms and Conditions

2. Figure 1
Inflammasome activation by intrarenal crystal precipitation. Crystal formation activates assembly of Nlrp3 protein oligomers, to which apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a carboxy-terminal CARD (ASC) and caspase-1 are recruited, forming an Nlrp3 inflammasome in tubulointerstitial dendritic cells. This proteolytically activates pro-IL-1 to form bioactive interleukin-1 (IL-1), which drives tubulointerstitial inflammation and chronic kidney disease. The Nlrp3 protein is displayed with its C-terminal leucine-rich repeat domain (white), nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain (green), and pyrin domain (red). The ASC protein contains a pyrin (red) and a caspase activation and recruitment domain (CARD; brown).
Kidney International  , DOI: ( /ki )
Copyright © 2013 International Society of Nephrology Terms and Conditions