Growing a gasdermin pore in membranes of pyroptotic cells

Inflammasome-activated caspase-1, caspase-11, caspase-4, and caspase-5 cleave GSDMD to unleash its N-terminal gasdermin-N domain (GSDMDNterm) that perforates the plasma membrane to execute pyroptosis and stimulate inflammation. The mechanism underlying GSDMDNterm pore formation is unclear. Mulvihill et al use high-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) to analyze the dynamic pore formation process of GSDMDNterm. GSDMDNterm protomers are inserted into the lipid membrane to assemble arc- or slit-shaped oligomers that can incorporate additional protomers and grow into large and stable ring-shaped oligomers to form pores.

Source: EMBO Journal - August 1, 2018 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Ding, J., Shao, F. Tags: Autophagy & Cell Death, Immunology News [amp ] Views Source Type: research