Human polymorphisms in GSDMD alter the inflammatory response

• Published in: The Journal of biological chemistry Vol. 295; no. 10; pp. 3228 - 3238
• Main Authors: Rathkey, Joseph K., Xiao, Tsan S., Abbott, Derek W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 06-03-2020; American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Subjects: Apoptosis - drug effects; Caspase 3 - metabolism; cell death; genetic polymorphism; genetics; HEK293 Cells; Humans; Immunology; inflammasome; Inflammasomes - metabolism; inflammation; Inflammation - metabolism; Inflammation - pathology; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - genetics; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - metabolism; Phosphate-Binding Proteins - genetics; Phosphate-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Phosphorylation; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Propidium - pharmacology; Protein Multimerization; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; SNP; Ubiquitination; genetics; cell death; SNP; inflammation; genetic polymorphism; inflammasome
• ISSN: 0021-9258; 1083-351X
• DOI: 10.1074/jbc.RA119.010604

Exomic studies have demonstrated that innate immune genes exhibit an even higher degree of variation than the majority of other gene families. However, the phenotypic implications of this genetic variation are not well understood, with effects ranging from hypomorphic to silent to hyperfunctioning. In this work, we study the functional consequences of this variation by investigating polymorphisms in gasdermin D, the key pyroptotic effector protein. We find that, although SNPs affecting potential posttranslational modifications did not affect gasdermin D function or pyroptosis, polymorphisms disrupting sites predicted to be structurally important dramatically alter gasdermin D function. The manner in which these polymorphisms alter function varies from conserving normal pyroptotic function to inhibiting caspase cleavage to disrupting oligomerization and pore formation. Further, downstream of inflammasome activation, polymorphisms that cause loss of gasdermin D function convert inflammatory pyroptotic cell death into immunologically silent apoptotic cell death. These findings suggest that human genetic variation can alter mechanisms of cell death in inflammation.