A common theme for all four CARD-CC family proteins in mice and humans is that they are activated by different protein kinase C isoforms, and recruit BCL10 and the paracaspase MALT1 upon activation, forming a so-called CBM complex. There are four different CBM complexes, defined by which CARD-CC family member that is responsible for its assembly: CBM-9 (CARD9), CBM-1 (CARD11/CARMA1), CBM-2 (CARD14/CARMA2) and CBM-3 (CARD10/CARMA3). CBM complex assembly results in recruitment of TRAF6 to MALT1 and downstream activation of NF-κB transcriptional activity and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The different CARD-CC family members show different expression pattern and gain- or loss of function mutation in the different CARD-CC family proteins cause different phenotypes.
