Allan R. Brasier, MD
Director, Institute for Translational Sciences
Director, Sealy Center for Molecular Medicine University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston


Abstract:

The innate immune response (IIR) is a stereotypic metazoan cellular response pathway rapidly triggered when invading microorganisms are identified or cell damage is incurred. The IIR is composed of inducible intracellular protein-protein interaction networks whose association is mediated by specific post-translational modifications (PTMs). Activation of the IIR results in an intracellular signaling cascade that leads to rapid activation of two essential transcription factors, the nuclear factor-kB (NF-κB) and the IFN regulatory factor (IRF), that, in turn, activate the expression of protective and pro-inflammatory gene networks.