Gene

Cell biology

Biology

Acquired immune system

Cytosol

Virology

Signal transduction

Biochemistry

Computational biology

Immunology

Intracellular

Genetics

Immune system

Genome

Enzyme

Evasion (ethics)

Virus

Innate immune system

Host (biology)

Experimental & Molecular Medicine

During viral infection, virus-derived cytosolic nucleic acids are recognized by host intracellular specific sensors. The efficacy of this recognition system is crucial for triggering innate host defenses, which then stimulate more specific adaptive immune responses against the virus. Recent studies show that signal transduction pathways activated by sensing proteins are positively or negatively regulated by many modulators to maintain host immune homeostasis. However, viruses have evolved several strategies to counteract/evade host immune reactions. These systems involve viral proteins that interact with host sensor proteins and prevent them from detecting the viral genome or from initiating immune signaling. In this review, we discuss key regulators of cytosolic sensor proteins and viral proteins based on experimental evidence.

Intracellular sensing of viral genomes and viral evasion