Figure 1. Timeline for discovery of putative cytosolic DNA sensors and associated signaling molecules.
The chronology of the identification of intracellular DNA sensors is shown. DNA sensors are in red, key signaling proteins in green, and the RNA sensors Rig-I and MDA5 shown for comparison (orange). As detailed in the text, certain DNA sensors (boxed in grey here) have been confirmed to have a role in DNA- and/or DNA-virus dependent cytokine and IFN-I production in vivo, by using knockout mice.