NALP proteins are cytoplasmic proteins that form a subfamily within the larger CATERPILLER family and are thought to play a crucial role in cell proliferation and reproduction. Like all other NALP family members, NALP10 has a C-terminal leucine-rich repeat (LRR) region, an N-terminal Pyrin domain (PYD) followed by a NACHT domain, and a NACHT-associated domain. It was initially identified as PYNOD, an Apaf-1-like protein that binds to ASC, caspase-1 and IL-1β, inhibiting the autoprocessing of caspase-1, caspase-1-mediated IL-1β processing, and ASC aggregation. NALP10 is thus a potent regulator of apoptosis and inflammation.
