Caspase 3 is partially responsible for the increased production of IL-1β and cell death in pknF Mtb mutant infected BMDMs.

BMDMs derived from wild type (WT) and Gsdmd^-/- mice were either left uninfected (UI) or infected with CDC1551 Mtb and ΔpknF mutant at an MOI of 10 for 4h in the presence or absence of Caspase 3 inhibitor Z-DEVD-FMK. The culture supernatants were harvested at 20 hpi and analyzed for (A) cell death and (B) IL-1β levels by AK assay and ELISA respectively. BMDMs derived from WT and Casp3^-/- mice were either left uninfected (UI) or infected with Mtb and ΔpknF mutant at an MOI of 10 for 4h. The culture supernatants were harvested at 20 hpi and analyzed for (C) cell death and (D) IL-1β levels by AK assay and ELISA respectively. Data are representative of three independent experiments. Error bars represent mean ± SEM; *, p<0.05, **, p<0.01, ***, p<0.001, ns (non-significant).

(TIF)