title: What Really Rigs Up RIG-I?
abstract: RIG-I (retinoic acid-inducible gene 1) is an archetypal member of the cytoplasmic DEAD-box dsRNA helicase family (RIG-I-like receptors or RLRs), the members of which play essential roles in the innate immune response of the metazoan cell. RIG-I functions as a pattern recognition receptor that detects nonself RNA as a pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP). However, the exact molecular nature of the viral RNAs that act as a RIG-I ligand has remained a mystery and a matter of debate. In this article, we offer a critical review of the actual viral RNAs that act as PAMPs to activate RIG-I, as seen from the perspective of a virologist, including a recent report that the viral Leader-read-through transcript is a novel and effective RIG-I ligand.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, and Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Sailen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barik
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000071457:DEAD Box Protein 58 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D051192:Receptors, Pattern Recognition / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D014780:Viruses / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D051192:Receptors, Pattern Recognition; C452820:RIGI protein, human; D000071457:DEAD Box Protein 58; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases