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Updated: Oct 18, 2025

Author Spotlight: Flow Cytometric Determination of Pyroptosis in Avian Cells
Published on: May 31, 2024
Gasdermin D in pyroptosis
Brandon E Burdette1, Ashley N Esparza1, Hua Zhu2
1Biology Department, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR 72204, USA.
Abstract:
Pyroptosis is the process of inflammatory cell death. The primary function of pyroptosis is to induce strong inflammatory responses that defend the host against microbe infection. Excessive pyroptosis, however, leads to several inflammatory diseases, including sepsis and autoimmune disorders. Pyroptosis can be canonical or noncanonical. Upon microbe infection, the canonical pathway responds to pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), while the noncanonical pathway responds to intracellular lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of Gram-negative bacteria. The last step of pyroptosis requires the cleavage of gasdermin D (GsdmD) at D275 (numbering after human GSDMD) into N- and C-termini by caspase 1 in the canonical pathway and caspase 4/5/11 (caspase 4/5 in humans, caspase 11 in mice) in the noncanonical pathway. Upon cleavage, the N-terminus of GsdmD (GsdmD-N) forms a transmembrane pore that releases cytokines such as IL-1β and IL-18 and disturbs the regulation of ions and water, eventually resulting in strong inflammation and cell death. Since GsdmD is the effector of pyroptosis, promising inhibitors of GsdmD have been developed for inflammatory diseases. This review will focus on the roles of GsdmD during pyroptosis and in diseases.
Insights
Pyroptosis is inflammatory cell death that defends against microbes but can cause disease. Gasdermin D (GsdmD) cleavage initiates pyroptosis, making it a target for treating inflammatory conditions.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Pyroptosis is a highly inflammatory form of programmed cell death crucial for host defense against microbial infections.
- Dysregulated pyroptosis contributes to inflammatory diseases such as sepsis and autoimmune disorders.
- Two main pathways, canonical and noncanonical, initiate pyroptosis in response to different molecular patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the critical role of gasdermin D (GsdmD) in executing pyroptosis.
- To explore the involvement of GsdmD in various inflammatory diseases.
- To highlight GsdmD as a therapeutic target for managing inflammatory conditions.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on pyroptosis and GsdmD.
- Analysis of canonical and noncanonical pyroptosis pathways.
- Examination of GsdmD cleavage and pore formation mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Gasdermin D (GsdmD) is the essential effector protein in pyroptosis, mediating membrane pore formation.
- Cleavage of GsdmD by specific caspases (caspase 1, 4/5/11) triggers the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-1β and IL-18.
- GsdmD-mediated pore formation leads to significant cellular and tissue inflammation.
Conclusions:
- Gasdermin D (GsdmD) is central to pyroptosis execution and its pathological consequences.
- Targeting GsdmD presents a promising therapeutic strategy for inflammatory diseases.
- Understanding GsdmD's function is key to developing novel treatments for sepsis and autoimmune disorders.
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