CGAS-like receptor-mediated immunity: the insect perspective. (February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cai, Hua; Meignin, Carine; Imler, Jean-Luc
• Is Part Of: Current opinion in immunology. Volume 74(2022)
• Page Start: 183
• Page End: 189
• Publication Date: 2022-02
• Subjects: Immunology -- Periodicals; Allergy -- Periodicals; Immunology -- Abstracts -- Periodicals; Allergy -- Abstracts -- Periodicals; 616.079
• DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2022.01.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0952-7915

Abstract

Highlights: Induction of antiviral genes contributes to defense against viruses in insects. STING triggers NF-κB-dependent gene expression to fight infection in insects. A cGAS-like receptor activated by dsRNA acts upstream of STING in flies. Poxvirus immune nucleases (poxins) are widely distributed in insect viruses. Drosophila cGLR1 and cGLR2 produce a so far undescribed isomer, 3′2′-cGAMP. Abstract : The cGAS-STING pathway plays a central role in the detection of DNA in the cytosol of mammalian cells and activation of immunity. Although the early evolutionary origin of this pathway in animals has been noted, its ancestral functions have remained elusive so far. We review here new findings in invertebrates establishing a role in sensing and signaling infection, triggering potent transcriptional responses, in addition to autophagy. Results from flies and moths/butterflies point to the importance of STING signaling in antiviral immunity in insects. The recent characterization of cGAS-like receptors in Drosophila reveals the plasticity of this family of pattern-recognition receptors, able to accommodate ligands different from DNA and to produce cyclic dinucleotides beyond 2′3′-cGAMP.