SUMMARY Sensing of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the cytosol triggers caspase-11 activation and is central to host defense against Gram-negative bacterial infections and to the pathogenesis of sepsis. Most Gram-negative bacteria that activate caspase-11 however are not cytosolic and the mechanism by which LPS from these bacteria gains access to caspase-11 in the cytosol remains elusive. Here we identify outer membrane vesicles (OMV) produced by Gram-negative bacteria as a vehicle that delivers LPS into the cytosol triggering caspase-11-dependent effector responses in vitro and in vivo. OMV are internalized via endocytosis, and LPS is released into the cytosol from early endosomes. The use of hypovesiculating bacterial mutants, compromised in their ability to generate OMV, reveal the importance of OMV in mediating the cytosolic localization of LPS. Collectively, these findings demonstrate a critical role for OMV in enabling the cytosolic entry of LPS and consequently caspase-11 activation during Gram-negative bacterial infections.

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.

Inflammasomes are cytosolic multi-molecular complexes that sense intracellular microbial danger signals and metabolic perturbations. Inflammasome activation leads to the activation of caspase-1 and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 accompanied by cell death. An inflammasome-based surveillance machinery for Gram-negative bacterial infections has been recently discovered. This noncanonical inflammasome relies on sensing the cytosolic presence of lipopolysaccharide of Gram-negative bacteria via inflammatory caspases such as caspase-4, -5, and -11. This review discusses the recent findings related to the mechanism of activation of the noncanonical inflammasome and its biological functions.

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