Lipid Peroxidation Drives Gasdermin D-Mediated Pyroptosis in Lethal Polymicrobial Sepsis

Cell Host Microbe. 2018 Jul 11;24(1):97-108.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2018.05.009. Epub 2018 Jun 21.

Abstract

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by pathogen infection and associated with pyroptosis. Pyroptosis occurs upon activation of proinflammatory caspases and their subsequent cleavage of gasdermin D (GSDMD), resulting in GSDMD N-terminal fragments that form membrane pores to induce cell lysis. Here, we show that antioxidant defense enzyme glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and its ability to decrease lipid peroxidation, negatively regulate macrophage pyroptosis, and septic lethality in mice. Conditional Gpx4 knockout in myeloid lineage cells increases lipid peroxidation-dependent caspase-11 activation and GSDMD cleavage. The resultant N-terminal GSDMD fragments then trigger macrophage pyroptotic cell death in a phospholipase C gamma 1 (PLCG1)-dependent fashion. Administration of the antioxidant vitamin E that reduces lipid peroxidation, chemical inhibition of PLCG1, or genetic Caspase-11 deletion or Gsdmd inactivation prevents polymicrobial sepsis in Gpx4-/- mice. Collectively, this study suggests that lipid peroxidation drives GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis and hence constitutes a potential therapeutic target for lethal infection.

Keywords: GPX4; GSDMD; caspase-11; ferroptosis; immunometabolism; inflammasome; lipid peroxidation; pyroptosis; sepsis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / genetics
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / metabolism*
  • Caspases / genetics
  • Caspases / metabolism
  • Caspases, Initiator
  • Coinfection / metabolism*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects
  • Escherichia coli / pathogenicity
  • Glutathione Peroxidase / genetics
  • Glutathione Peroxidase / metabolism*
  • HL-60 Cells
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear / microbiology
  • Lipid Peroxidation / drug effects
  • Lipid Peroxidation / genetics*
  • Macrophages / microbiology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Phosphate-Binding Proteins
  • Phospholipid Hydroperoxide Glutathione Peroxidase
  • Pyroptosis / drug effects
  • Pyroptosis / genetics*
  • Sepsis / metabolism*
  • Vitamin E / pharmacology

Substances

  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • Gsdmd protein, mouse
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Phosphate-Binding Proteins
  • Vitamin E
  • Phospholipid Hydroperoxide Glutathione Peroxidase
  • Glutathione Peroxidase
  • glutathione peroxidase 4, mouse
  • Casp4 protein, mouse
  • Caspases
  • Caspases, Initiator