Structural characterisation of molecular interactions in the RIG-I antiviral signalling pathway

The innate immune system serves to detect foreign infectious pathogens as a first line of the body's defence. After microbes, such as viruses, overcome the physical and chemical barriers, various cells in our body are capable of detecting these infectious viruses. These cells initiate a set of reactions generally known as antiviral innate immune responses. Several proteins within the cell, such as RIG-I like receptors, detect the virus-derived molecules and initiate a signalling cascade. This results in the production of antiviral cytokines such as type I interferons (IFN) and subsequent enzymes for impairing viral replication and resolving viral infection.