Fig. 7: Caspase-4/5-mediated pyroptosis by oxidative photocatalysis on membranes.

a Pyroptotic morphology changes in response to photocatalytic membrane oxidation. Yellow arrows indicate pyroptotic blebbing of dyeing HeLa cells. b Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay. Ce6 (photodynamic therapy agent) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) + nigericin were used as positive controls for photooxidation-induced cell death and LPS-induced pyroptosis. (n = 3 biologically independent samples). c Western blots of HeLa cells with BTP photocatalysis for investigating gasdermin D (GSDMD) cleavage. BTP-treated cells were exposed to 3 or 10 J·cm⁻² of light energy, and the pyroptotic media (Lane: Media) and cell lysate (Lane: Cell) were obtained individually 2 h after BTP photocatalysis. d Changes in the morphology of wild-type immortalised bone marrow-derived macrophages (WT-iBMDMs) and GSDMD knock-out iBMDM (GSDMD^−/− iBMDM) in response to BTP photocatalysis. e LDH release assay for WT- and GSDMD^−/− iBMDM exposed to BTP photocatalysis. (n = 4 biologically independent samples). f Western blot analysis of HeLa cells with BTP photocatalysis for investigating caspase-1/3/4/5 cleavage. g Secretion assay for ATP evaluation. (n = 3 biologically independent samples). h Western blot analysis of HeLa cells for examination of interleukin cleavages (IL-18 and IL-1β). All data are presented as mean ± s.d. **P = 0.0018. Student’s two-tailed t test. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.