Caspase-4 (CASP4)

Inflammatory caspase (PubMed:7797510, PubMed:23516580, PubMed:25119034). Independently of NLRP3 inflammasome and CASP1, promotes pyroptosis, through GSDMD cleavage and activation, and IL1A, IL18 and HMGB1 release in reaction to non-canonical inflammasome activators (PubMed:24879791, PubMed:25964352).

Plays a vital role in the limitation of Salmonella typhimurium replication in colonic epithelial cells during infection (PubMed:25121752). In later stages of the infection, LPS from cytosolic Salmonella triggers CASP4 activation, which ultimately leads to pyroptosis of infected cells and their extrusion into the gut lumen, as well as in IL18 secretion.