Phosphorylation of Syk and JNK was dependent on potassium efflux during S. aureus infection, thereafter promoting NEK7-NLRP3 interaction and NLRP3 inflammasome activation through downregulation of NEK7, leading to the cleavage of pro-caspase-1 and maturation of IL-1β, and finally contributing to S. aureus induced-pneumonia. Here, NEK7 is linked to pneumonia.