NLRP3 Inflammasome in Major Swine Viral Infections: Host Defense and Viral Antagonism

Description

The NLRP3 inflammasome is a cytosolic multiprotein complex central to innate immune sensing of pathogen- and host-derived danger signals. Upon activation, it drives caspase-1-mediated maturation of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18 and initiates gasdermin D (GSDMD)-dependent pyroptosis. In swine viral infections, NLRP3 serves a dual function: moderate activation restricts viral replication and facilitates infected cell clearance, whereas excessive or sustained activation exacerbates immunopathology. This review synthesizes current understanding of NLRP3 regulation during infection with African swine fever virus (ASFV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), pseudorabies virus (PRV), porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). Emphasis is placed on molecular interactions between viral proteins and inflammasome components, highlighting how viral effectors exploit ion flux, mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and ubiquitin-autophagy networks to fine-tune NLRP3 responses. Emerging therapeutic strategies targeting the NLRP3–autophagy–ubiquitination axis are discussed alongside critical knowledge gaps requiring validation in swine-relevant models.

Institutions

• Henan Agricultural University

  Henan, Zhengzhou

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