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The CCAAT\/Enhancer Binding Protein-\u03b2 (C\/EBP\u03b2) is a critical signaling molecule for macrophages because expression of a dominant inhibitor of C\/EBP\u03b2 DNA-binding sites or a targeted deletion of C\/EBP\u03b2 results in impaired macrophage differentiation. We reported that expression of the phosphorylation-mutant C\/EBP\u03b2-Glu217, which mimics phosphorylated C\/EBP\u03b2-Thr217, was sufficient to confer macrophage survival to Anthrax lethal toxin. Here, using primary hepatocytes, primary liver macrophages, dominant positive and negative transgenic mice of the C\/EBP\u03b2-Thr217 phosphoacceptor, macrophage ablation and an inhibitory peptide of C\/EBP\u03b2-Thr217 phosphorylation, we determined that this phosphorylation is essential for the activation of the inflammasome in liver macrophages and for the hepatocyte apoptosis induced by hepatotoxins that results in liver injury. Similar findings were observed in the livers of patients with acute injury induced by Toxic Oil Syndrome.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1038\/srep24268","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2016,4,12]],"date-time":"2016-04-12T09:39:23Z","timestamp":1460453963000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["C\/EBP\u03b2-Thr217 Phosphorylation Stimulates Macrophage Inflammasome Activation and Liver Injury"],"prefix":"10.1038","volume":"6","author":[{"given":"Martina","family":"Buck","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jose","family":"Solis-Herruzo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mario","family":"Chojkier","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2016,4,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"BFsrep24268_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"387","DOI":"10.1038\/nrgastro.2015.94","volume":"12","author":"G Szabo","year":"2015","unstructured":"Szabo, G. & Petrasek, J. 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Drs. Buck and Chojkier have equity interests in Xfibra, Inc., a company that may potentially benefit from the research results and also Dr. Chojkier serves on the company\u2019s Scientific Advisory Board. The terms of this arrangement have been reviewed and approved by the University of California, San Diego in accordance with its conflict of interest policies.","order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"24268"}}