Emerging principles governing signal transduction by pattern-recognition receptors.
The problem of recognizing and disposing of non-self-organisms, whether for nutrients or defense, predates the evolution of multicellularity. Accordingly, the function of the innate immune system is often intimately associated with fundamental aspects of cell biology. Here, we review our current understanding of the links between cell biology and pattern-recognition receptors of the innate immune system. We highlight the importance of receptor localization for the detection of microbes and for the initiation of antimicrobial signaling pathways. We discuss examples that illustrate how pattern-recognition receptors influence, and are influenced by, the general membrane trafficking machinery of mammalian cells. In the future, cell biological analysis likely will rival pure genetic analysis as a tool to uncover fundamental principles that govern host-microbe interactions.
Harvard Medical School and Division of Gastroenterology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
Jonathan C
JC
Kagan
Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720-3200.
Gregory M
GM
Barton
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000502:physiology*; D018448:Models, Immunological; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D051179:Plakins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology*; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*
D009696:Nucleic Acids; D051179:Plakins; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors