Meta-Biol

• Pathways

DNA damage sensor, meiotic recombination 11 homolog A (MRE11) has been shown to function as a cytosolic sensor of dsDNA. The observations that MRE11 mediates recognition of dsDNA rather than pathogens suggest that the biological significance of MRE11-mediated intracellular DNA recognition is to respond to damaged host cells, rather than defense against foreign pathogens (Kondo T et al. 2013). Cells with a mutation of MRE11 gene derived from a patient with ataxia-telangiectasia-like disorder, and cells in which Mre11 was knocked down, had defects in dsDNA-induced type I IFN production (Kondo T et al. 2013).