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.