Recognition of viral nucleic acids by TLRs, RLRs and the cytosolic DNA sensor. (A) In pDCs, TLR7 and TLR9 reside in the ER and interact with UNC93B and are trafficked to the endosome to recognize viral ssRNA and DNA, respectively. These TLRs recruit MyD88, IRAK4 and TRAF6, which in turn activates TAK1, IRF5 and TRAF3. TAK1 mediates activation of NF-κB and MAPK, which leads to the induction of inflammatory cytokine genes. IRF5 also mediates inflammatory cytokine expression. TRAF3 activates IRAK1 and IKKα, which catalyze the phosphorylation of IRF7 and induce type I IFN genes. OPN is involved in the activation of IRF7. IRF8 facilitates NF-κB and IRF7 activation. (B) In addition, pDCs exhibit constitutive autophagy induction, which deliver viral RNA to the endosome or lysosome, where TLR7 is expressed. (C) In cDCs, macrophages and fibroblast cells, viral RNA species are preferentially recognized by RLRs. RIG-I and MDA5 recruit the adapter IPS-1 via CARDs. IPS-1 is localized to mitochondria, and recruits TRADD, which then forms a complex with FADD, caspase-8 and caspase-10 to activate NF-κB. TRADD also recruits TRAF3 to activate the TBK1–IKKi–IRF3 axis. FADD is also implicated in IRF3 activation. STING (also known as MITA) localizes to (D) mitochondria or (E) ER; in mitochondria, STING (MITA) interacts with IPS-1 and RIG-I and activates NF-κB and IRF3. (F) Cytoplasmic dsDNA is thought to be sensed by an as-yet-undefined host DNA sensor. In the ER, STING (MITA) plays an essential role in the responses to dsDNA. DsDNA activates NF-κB and IRF3 via the IKK complex (data not shown) and TBK1–IKKi, respectively.