FIG 12.

A model for NMII-induced pyroptosis in peritoneal B1a B cells. NMII infection and replication induce activation of TLR-2 signaling, which leads to the expression of inflammatory cytokines and the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Inflammasome activation causes cleavage of pro-caspase-1 into active caspase-1. Caspase-1 cleaves pro-IL-1β and pro-IL-18 into active IL-1β and IL-18, respectively, which induce pyroptotic cell death. Pyroptotic cell death leads to lysis of infected cells, which releases their inflammatory contents. ?, possible linkage.