FigureĀ 1.
The multifaceted roles of mitochondria in innate immunity.
Mitochondria have diverse functions in innate immune cells, including: (1) cell signalling, as exemplified by RLR-mediated engagement of MAVS for antiviral gene expression and TLR-inducible activation of ECSIT via TRAF6, as well as mROS and mitochondria-derived metabolites acting as signalling molecules; (2) metabolic reprogramming, as is apparent during TLR activation in which there is a metabolic shift from OXPHOS to glycolysis, as well as increased production of succinate, itaconate, fumarate, and mROS, all of which have inflammatory and/or antimicrobial roles; (3) generation of antimicrobial responses, with the antimicrobial effector molecule mROS and antibacterial metabolites all being produced downstream of TLR activation; and (4) DAMP-mediated cellular activation, in which mitochondrial DAMPs, such as TFAM, n-FP, and mtDNA, can all trigger innate immune activation. mtDNA, mitochondrial DNA; n-FP, N-formyl peptides; TFAM, mitochondrial transcription factor A. Created with BioRender.com.