Figure 6.

Cellular dynamics and localization of the inflammasome. (A) Deconvolved images of P2X₇R^+/+ M1 polarized peritoneal macrophages stained for active caspase-1 (green) and F-actin cytoskeleton (red, left panels), ASC (red, middle panels) or cathepsin L (red, right panels), before (top panels) or after (bottom panels) stimulation with ATP (5 mM, 5 min). Arrows show active caspase-1 crossing actin barrier and presumably being released; co-localization of active caspase-1 with ASC (arrowheads) indicating active inflammasomes; note no colocalization between active casapse-1 and lysosomal marker cathepsin L. (B) M1 polarized peritoneal macrophages isolated from P2X₇R^−/− mice labelled for active caspase-1 (green) and F-actin cytoskeleton with Texas Red-phalloidin (red) stimulated for 5 min with MTX (0.2 nM) alone or in combination with ATP (5 mM). Bar, 5 μm. Images are representative of two independent experiments.