NLRP3 and infection: While WT C. albicans induced both maturation and secretion of IL-1β in unprimed macrophages, both of these inflammasome responses were diminished upon infection with the ece1Δ/Δ strain, demonstrating that an ECE1-derived fungal factor was crucial for C. albicans-induced Nlrp3 inflammasome activation (Fig. 2E and F).