Fig. 2

AIM2 is a pivotal cytosolic innate immune sensor that drives inflammasome activation and cell death in response to MPXV infection. A Immunoblot analysis of pro-caspase-1 (CASP1; P45) and cleaved CASP1 (P20) in monkeypox virus (MPXV)-infected or poly(dA:dT)-transfected wild-type (WT) or Aim2^–/– bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs). B–E Assessment of IL-1β release (B) and IL-18 release (C) following MPXV infection (MOI of 0.1 for 24 h). D Cell death evaluation in BMDMs after MPXV infection. E Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assessment after MPXV infection. F–H Immunoblot analysis of CASP1 (F), cell death images (G), and LDH release (H) from WT or Aim2^–/– mouse ear fibroblasts (MEFs) after MPXV infection (MOI of 0.1 for 24 h). I–K Immunoblot analysis of CASP1 (I), cell death images (J), and LDH release (K) from WT or AIM2-knockdown human keratinocytes (HEK001) by short-interfering RNA (siRNA) after MPXV infection (MOI of 0.1 for 24 h). (A), (F), (I) represent data from at least three independent experiments. B, C, E, H, K Data are presented as the means ± s.e.m. “ns” not significant, ****P < 0.0001 (two-tailed t-test; n = 9 from 3 biologically independent samples). (D), (G), and (J) show images representative of a minimum of three independent experiments. Scale bar: 50 μm