This gene encodes a pyrin-like protein containing a pyrin domain, a nucleotide-binding site (NBS) domain, and a leucine-rich repeat (LRR) motif. This protein interacts with the apoptosis-associated speck-like protein PYCARD/ASC, which contains a caspase recruitment domain, and is a member of the NLRP3 inflammasome complex. This complex functions as an upstream activator of NF-kappaB signaling, and it plays a role in the regulation of inflammation, the immune response, and apoptosis. The SARS-CoV 3a protein, a transmembrane pore-forming viroporin, has been shown to activate the NLRP3 inflammasome via the formation of ion channels in macrophages. [From RefSeq]