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TRIM dsDNA sensor to restrict innate immune response

Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 10, pages 193–195 (2013)Cite this article

The innate immune system, also known as the non-specific immune system, is the first line of defense utilized by the host to provide protection against infection by organisms. In order to combat infection by bacteria, viruses or fungi, host cells have evolved a repertoire of sophisticated systems to sense infection and trigger innate immune responses, through the engagement of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) or other pattern-recognition receptors on the cell surface.1 Upon the activation of pattern-recognition receptor, various immune responses are initiated, leading to the production of a variety of cytokines and pro-inflammatory factors such as type I interferons (IFN-α and IFN-β) by dendritic cells (DCs).2 However, these normally beneficial responses may lead to pathological consequences if they are not tightly controlled. For example, systemic autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis and Sjogren's syndrome, develop in response to continuous inflammatory signals, which create a feedback amplification loop for autoimmune responses.3

One easy and efficient strategy for blocking extensive immune responses to infection is to inhibit the activity and/or level of key signaling molecules that mediate these responses. E3 ubiquitin ligases play an important role in the regulation of immune receptor signaling and the maintenance of immune homeostasis.4 The tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) proteins belong to a superfamily that is conserved throughout the metazoan kingdom. Until now, more than 60 TRIM proteins have been identified in humans and mice, and most of them contain a RING domain in their N-terminal region. The RING domains of many TRIM family members have been shown to confer E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. This activity allows these proteins to mediate ubiquitination events, which are crucial in the negative regulation of innate immunity.5

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  1. Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China

    Zhijian Cai & Jianli Wang

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  1. Zhijian Cai
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Correspondence to Jianli Wang.

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Cai, Z., Wang, J. TRIM dsDNA sensor to restrict innate immune response. Cell Mol Immunol 10, 193–195 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2013.6

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