The detection of intracellular DNA has emerged to be a key event in the innate immune
response to viruses and intracellular bacteria, and during conditions of sterile inflammation
and autoimmunity. One of the consequences of the detection of DNA as a 'stranger'and a
'danger'signal is the production of type I interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Much
work has been dedicated to the elucidation of the signalling cascades that activate this DNA-
induced gene expression programme. However, while many proteins have been proposed …