Pyroptosis across species and its potential impact on host defense against zoonotic pathogens.

Regulated cell death (RCD) plays a central role in host defenses against infection. It is also an important driver of pathology in sepsis. The proteins that regulate RCD in mice and, to a lesser degree, in humans are increasingly well understood. In other species, how RCD, especially pyroptosis, occurs in response to infection is less clear. In this review, we outline what is currently known about genes involved in RCD with a focus on pyroptosis across different species and consider the potential consequences that the genetic diversity might have on the host response to infection.