Epithelial STAT6 O-GlcNAcylation drives a concerted anti-helminth alarmin response dependent on tuft cell hyperplasia and Gasdermin C.

The epithelium is an integral component of mucosal barrier and host immunity. Following helminth infection, the intestinal epithelial cells secrete "alarmin" cytokines, such as interleukin-25 (IL-25) and IL-33, to initiate the type 2 immune responses for helminth expulsion and tolerance. However, it is unknown how helminth infection and the resulting cytokine milieu drive epithelial remodeling and orchestrate alarmin secretion. Here, we report that epithelial O-linked N-Acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) protein modification was induced upon helminth infections. By modifying and activating the transcription factor STAT6, O-GlcNAc transferase promoted the transcription of lineage-defining Pou2f3 in tuft cell differentiation and IL-25 production. Meanwhile, STAT6 O-GlcNAcylation activated the expression of Gsdmc family genes. The membrane pore formed by GSDMC facilitated the unconventional secretion of IL-33. GSDMC-mediated IL-33 secretion was indispensable for effective anti-helminth immunity and contributed to induced intestinal inflammation. Protein O-GlcNAcylation can be harnessed for future treatment of type 2 inflammation-associated human diseases.

Depletion of Gsdma1/2/3 alleviates PMA-induced epidermal hyperplasia by inhibiting the EGFR-Stat3/Akt pathway.

Homeostasis of the skin barrier is essential for maintaining normal skin function. Gasdermin A (GSDMA) is highly expressed in the skin and associated with many skin diseases, such as melanoma and psoriasis. In mice, GSDMA is encoded by three gene homologues, namely Gsdma1, Gsdma2, and Gsdma3. Although Gsdma3 gain-of-function mutations cause hair loss and skin inflammation, Gsdma3-deficient mice do not show any visible phenotypes in skin and hair structures. To explore the physiological function of GSDMA, we generated conventional Gsdma1/2/3 knockout (KO) mice. These mice showed significantly alleviated epidermal hyperplasia and inflammation induced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Furthermore, the alleviation of epidermal hyperplasia depended on the expression of Gsdma1/2/3 specifically in keratinocytes. Mechanistically, Gsdma1/2/3 depletion downregulated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligands, leading to the decreased EGFR-Stat3/Akt signalling. These results demonstrate that depletion of Gsdma1/2/3 alleviates PMA-induced epidermal hyperplasia partially by inhibiting the EGFR-Stat3/Akt pathway.

Apoptotic caspase-7 activation inhibits non-canonical pyroptosis by GSDMB cleavage.

GSDMB is associated with several inflammatory diseases, such as asthma, sepsis and colitis. GZMA is released by cytotoxic lymphocytes and cleaves GSDMB at the K244 site and to induce GSDMB N-terminus dependent pyroptosis. This cleavage of GSDMB is noncell autonomous. In this study, we demonstrated that the GSDMB-N domain (1-91 aa) was important for a novel cell-autonomous function and that GSDMB could bind caspase-4 and promote noncanonical pyroptosis. Furthermore, activated caspase-7 cleaved GSDMB at the D91 site to block GSDMB-mediated promotion of noncanonical pyroptosis during apoptosis. Mechanistically, the cleaved GSDMB-C-terminus (92-417 aa) binds to the GSDMB-N-terminus (1-91 aa) to block the function of GSDMB. During E. coli and S. Typhimurium infection, inhibition of the caspase-7/GSDMB axis resulted in more pyroptotic cells. Furthermore, in a septic mouse model, caspase-7 inhibition or deficiency in GSDMB-transgenic mice led to more severe disease phenotypes. Overall, we demonstrate that apoptotic caspase-7 activation inhibits non-canonical pyroptosis by cleaving GSDMB and provide new targets for sepsis therapy.