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. 2021 Oct 27;13(10):739–747. doi: 10.1093/jmcb/mjab071

Figure 2.

Figure 2

The modulation of cGAS‒STING signaling on the caspase family. The cGAS‒STING signaling pathway modulates the caspase family in terms of apoptosis directly and indirectly. Caspase-4 and caspase-11 can be activated by cGAS. Activation of caspase-4 and caspase-11 leads to caspase-1 activation, which accomplishes the processing of IL-1β and IL-18. IL-1β and IL-18 stimulate caspase-3 and caspase-7 to initiate apoptosis. cGAS can also directly affect caspase-3 and caspase-7 to induce apoptosis. Both STING and IRF3 stimulate the activation of caspase-9 and downstream executioners caspase-3 and caspase-7 to initiate apoptosis.