Institute of Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
Viruses. 2021 Jan 12;13(1):94. doi: 10.3390/v13010094.
Although mobile genetic elements, or transposons, have played an important role in genome evolution, excess activity of mobile elements can have detrimental consequences. Already, the enhanced expression of transposons-derived nucleic acids can trigger autoimmune reactions that may result in severe autoinflammatory disorders. Thus, cells contain several layers of protective measures to restrict transposons and to sense the enhanced activity of these "intragenomic pathogens". This review focuses on our current understanding of immunogenic patterns derived from the most active elements in humans, the retrotransposons long interspersed element (LINE)-1 and Alu. We describe the role of known pattern recognition receptors in nucleic acid sensing of LINE-1 and Alu and the possible consequences for autoimmune diseases.
尽管移动遗传元件（或转座子）在基因组进化中发挥了重要作用，但移动元件的过度活跃可能会产生有害影响。已经有研究表明，转座子衍生核酸的过度表达会引发自身免疫反应，从而导致严重的自身炎症性疾病。因此，细胞内含有多层保护措施来限制转座子的活动，并感知这些“基因组内病原体”的活性增强。本综述重点介绍了我们目前对人类中最活跃的元件（逆转录转座子长散布元件（LINE）-1 和 Alu）衍生的免疫原性模式的理解。我们描述了已知的模式识别受体在 LINE-1 和 Alu 的核酸感应中的作用，以及其对自身免疫性疾病的可能影响。
