Gasdermin D Restrains Type I Interferon Response to Cytosolic DNA by Disrupting Ionic Homeostasis

Abstract

Inflammasome-activated caspase-1 cleaves gasdermin D to unmask its pore-forming activity, the predominant consequence of which is pyroptosis. Here, we report an additional biological role for gasdermin D in limiting cytosolic DNA surveillance. Cytosolic DNA is sensed by Aim2 and cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) leading to inflammasome and type I interferon responses, respectively. We found that gasdermin D activated by the Aim2 inflammasome suppressed cGAS-driven type I interferon response to cytosolic DNA and Francisella novicida in macrophages. Similarly, interferon-β (IFN-β) response to F. novicida infection was elevated in gasdermin D-deficient mice. Gasdermin D-mediated negative regulation of IFN-β occurred in a pyroptosis-, interleukin-1 (IL-1)-, and IL-18-independent manner. Mechanistically, gasdermin D depleted intracellular potassium (K⁺) via membrane pores, and this K⁺ efflux was necessary and sufficient to inhibit cGAS-dependent IFN-β response. Thus, our findings have uncovered an additional interferon regulatory module involving gasdermin D and K⁺ efflux.

Keywords: Francisella; IFN-β; K(+); STING; cGAS; caspase-1; cytosolic DNA; gasdermin D; inflammasome; poly(dA:dT); potassium.