<i>O. tsutsugamushi</i> activates caspase-1 in LPS-primed BMDMs in Nlrp3-, Nlrc4- and AIM2-independent manners.

<p>Wild-type (WT), <i>MyD88</i>-, <i>Rip2</i>-, <i>Nlrp3</i>-, <i>Nlrc4</i>- or <i>Aim2</i>-deficient BMDMs were primed with LPS (10 ng/ml) for 16 h and then treated with ATP (5 mM) for 3 h or infected with OT (ICU/cell=50) for 6 h or the indicated time periods. (A, B) IL-1β and IL-6 production from the cells was assessed by ELISA. (C) The cleaved caspase-1 and procaspase-1 were analyzed by western blotting using rabbit polyclonal antibodies specific for the p10 subunits of caspase-1. Error bars represent SD of triplicate samples. N.D.; not detected. -; untreated. <i>***p<0.001</i> versus wild-type. Data are representative of three independent experiments in A-C.