Pore formation by GSDMD is the effector mechanism of pyroptosis

Pyroptosis is a unique, pro-inflammatory form of lytic cell death that is initiated by the activation of inflammatory caspases. The caspase substrate gasdermin D (GSDMD) plays a critical function in pyroptosis, yet the precise mode of action of this molecule in cell death execution remained unclear. Several recent reports, including a The EMBO Journal article, show that the caspase-matured N-terminal fragment of GSDMD is recruited to lipid membranes to form pore-like structures, which constitutes the key effector mechanism of pyroptotic cell death.