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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: Immunol Rev. 2011 Sep;243(1):74–90. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065X.2011.01049.x

Fig. 1. Diversity and specificity of viral sensors.

Fig. 1

Multiple viral sensors detect invading viruses. Genetic loss-of-function experiments have revealed the specificity of viral sensors in numerous viral infections. TLR2 is expressed on the cell surface and detects Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), HSV-1, Hepatitis C virus (HCV), Measles virus, LCMV, and VACV virus (12–20). TLR3, TLR7, and TLR9 are located in endosomes. TLR3 recognizes RNA and DNA viruses such as reovirus (25), EMCV (123), West Nile virus (WNV) (234, 235), HSV-1 (35), MCMV (236), Influenza A (40), CVB (128), rhinovirus (237, 238), and Dengue virus (DV) (239). TLR7 recognizes ssRNA viruses such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (240), Influenza virus (41, 42), VSV (43), CVB (241) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (242), human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV-1) (257) and mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) (258). TLR9 recognizes DNA viruses such as MCMV (243), HSV-1 (244), HSV-2 (245) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) (246). RIG-I and MDA5 sense replicating viruses in the cytosol. RIG-I recognizes a series of ssRNA viruses including paramyxoviruses such as Sendai virus (71, 247), Newcastle disease virus (NDV) (71, 247), RSV (248) and Measles virus (249, 250); Orthomyxovirus (Influenza A and B viruses (71)); Rhabdovirus (VSV (71, 247), Rabies virus (251)); Flavivirus (HCV (74), WNV (252), DV (239), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) (71)); and Filovirus (Ebola virus (95)). MDA5 detects picornaviruses such as EMCV, Mengo virus, and Theiler virus (71, 72), as well as calicivurses, such as norovirus (253). MDA5 has also been shown to recognize Sendai virus (75), DV (239), mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) (254), LCMV (233), Measles virus (249) and HSV-1 (255). DNA sensors such as DAI and IFI16 recognize cytosolic DNA viruses in a STING-dependent manner (99, 100, 103-106). STING is also involved in the recognition of RNA viruses such as VSV (105, 106).