Gasdermins, a family of five pore-forming proteins (GSDMA–GSDME) in humans expressed predominantly in the skin, mucosa and immune sentinel cells, are key executioners of inflammatory cell death (pyroptosis), which recruits immune cells to infection sites and promotes protective immunity. Pore formation is triggered by gasdermin cleavage. Although the proteases that activate GSDMB, C, D and E have been identified, how GSDMA—the dominant gasdermin in the skin—is activated, remains unknown. Streptococcus pyogenes, also known as group A Streptococcus (GAS), is a major skin pathogen that causes substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide.
