mitochondrial dna innate immunity
Mitochondria are important for cellular metabolism and programmed cell death, but also have a role in innate immunity. Now, Shadel and colleagues show that herpesviruses induce mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) instability and this leads to enhanced cellular antiviral defences.ence, the authors examined whether the cytosolic DNA sensor cGAS has a role in signalling that is associated with mtDNA stress. Indeed, knockdown of cGAS expression in Tfam+/â MEFs abolished ISG expression and similar results were seen in the absence of the stimulator of IFN genes (STING).