Premium
Beyond inflammasomes: emerging function of gasdermins during apoptosis and NETosis
Author(s) -
Chen Kaiwen W,
Demarco Benjamin,
Broz Petr
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.15252/embj.2019103397
Subject(s) - biology , apoptosis , function (biology) , microbiology and biotechnology , programmed cell death , genetics
Programmed cell death is a key mechanism involved in several biological processes ranging from development and homeostasis to immunity, where it promotes the removal of stressed, damaged, malignant or infected cells. Abnormalities in the pathways leading to initiation of cell death or removal of dead cells are consequently associated with a range of human diseases including infections, autoinflammatory disease, neurodegenerative disease and cancer. Apoptosis, pyroptosis and NETosis are three well‐studied modes of cell death that were traditionally believed to be independent of one another, but emerging evidence indicates that there is extensive cross‐talk between them, and that all three pathways can converge onto the activation of the same cell death effector—the pore‐forming protein Gasdermin D (GSDMD). In this review, we highlight recent advances in gasdermin research, with a particular focus on the role of gasdermins in pyroptosis, NETosis and apoptosis, as well as cell type‐specific consequences of gasdermin activation. In addition, we discuss controversies surrounding a related gasdermin family protein, Gasdermin E (GSDME), in mediating pyroptosis and secondary necrosis following apoptosis, chemotherapy and inflammasome activation.