Microbiologia Médica e Diagnóstico

Apoptosis Induction By Cytosolic RNA Helicases

Abstract

Tobias Haas and Hendrik Poeck

Host protection against viruses depends on mounting an effective innate and adaptive immune response. Aside from the production of type I interferon and inflammation activation, a third line of defense against viral infections is the induction of programmed cell death (apoptosis) in infected cells. Recent work has uncovered essential roles for the cytoslic RNA helicases RIG-I and MDA-5 in the induction of apoptosis in diverse cell types. Here we discuss the mechanisms of RLR-induced programmed cell death as a mechanism of antiviral defense.