Structural mechanisms for ATP-mediated inhibition of human NLRP6 inflammasome
Zhen Cui, Qingyu Sheng, Minsoo Son, Young Ah Goo, Chen Shen · 2026
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Description
Zhen Cui and co-authors image an immune sensor in a 2026 structural biology paper. The sensor, NLRP6, guards the gut, and its overactivation drives bowel inflammation. How the sensor is held in its off state was unknown, so the team captured its shape with and without its energy molecule, ATP, bound.
Freezing microscopy showed ATP binding twists the sensor into a compact, locked form. The binding region touches three other parts, reinforcing the lock. Breaking that grip in cells unleashed the sensor's alarm activity. A loop unique to this sensor tunes the switch. A known drug for a sister sensor did not block this one, despite binding nearby. The maps guide drugs aimed at gut inflammation.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Zhen Cui, Qingyu Sheng, Minsoo Son, Young Ah Goo, Chen Shen |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 61 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |