Transcriptional regulation in the innate immune system

In cells of the innate immune system, the transcriptional response to a microbial stimulus is tailored to both the stimulus and cell type, suggesting the existence of highly sophisticated regulatory mechanisms. Early studies suggested that specificity is dictated by sets of differentially induced transcription factors that synergistically activate target genes containing their binding sites. However, recent studies have revealed additional interrelated regulatory layers, which are the topic of this article. In particular, individual transcription factors may require different post-translational modifications and coregulatory interactions to regulate different target genes. Furthermore, competence for induction is programmed at an early stage of development by factors involved in lineage commitment, and the architecture and chromatin structure of each promoter play critical roles in transcriptional specificity.