Cellular flice-inhibitory protein regulates tissue homeostasis

Abstract

Cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (cFLIP) is structurally related to caspase-8, but lacks its protease activity. Cflip gene encodes several splicing variants including short form (cFLIPs) and long form (cFLIPL). cFLIPL is composed of two death effector domains at the N terminus and a C-terminal caspase-like domain, and cFLIPs lacks the caspase-like domain. Our studies reveal that cFLIP plays a central role in NF-κB-dependent survival signals that control apoptosis and programmed necrosis. Germline deletion of Cflip results in embryonic lethality due to enhanced apoptosis and programmed necrosis; however, the combined deletion of the death-signaling regulators, Fadd and Ripk3, prevents embryonic lethality in Cflip-deficient mice. Moreover, tissue-specific deletion of Cflip reveals cFLIP as a crucial regulator that maintains tissue homeostasis of immune cells, hepatocytes, intestinal epithelial cells, and epidermal cells by preventing apoptosis and programmed necrosis.