Fig. 5

Interplay between the cGAS–STING signalling pathway and pyroptosis. The AIM2 inflammasome activates caspase-1, which activates IL-1β and triggers pyroptosis. On the one hand, cGAS-mediated IFN responses increase caspase-1 expression, which in turn increases the release of IL-1β and pyroptotic cell death. On the other hand, the AIM2 pathway counteracts cGAS–STING signalling. First, cGAS is a target for caspase-1 cleavage. Second, gasdermin D activated by caspase-1 leads to potassium ion (K⁺) efflux, which inhibits cGAS. In addition, the cGAS–STING pathway triggers the NLRP3 inflammasome through several mechanisms, and this process lags behind canonical interferon signalling