RIG I like receptor

RIG-I-like receptors, abbreviated RLRs, are a type of intracellular pattern recognition receptor involved in the recognition of viruses by the innate immune system. There are three RLRs: RIG-I, MDA5, and LGP2 that act as sensors of viral replication within the cytoplasm of human cells. RLRs detect viral replication through direct interaction with dsRNA, which is produced by RNA viruses to form their genome (dsRNA viruses) or as a part of their replication cycle. Two of the RLRs, RIG-I and MDA5, possess the ability to induce a cellular response (via CARD domains) upon recognition of viral dsRNA. LGP2, the remaining RLR, lacks the ability to induce signaling alone (due to the absence of CARD domains), but has been found to be necessary for effective RIG-I and MDA5-mediated antiviral responses.