Plans within plans: post-transcriptional regulation governs macrophage responses.

Abstract

Macrophages are sentinels and first responders of the innate immune system. By sensing danger signals, they initiate and amplify inflammatory and regenerative cascades to control appropriate responses to pathogens and tissue damage. Transcriptional activation of macrophage gene expression has been studied extensively, but macrophage responses also rely on regulation of mRNAs following transcription. In this review we discuss mechanisms of post-transcriptional regulation that alter macrophage gene expression programs in profound and sometimes surprising ways. We explore how these control nodes are layered to form complex and dynamic circuits, discuss their role in disease, and conclude by outlining opportunities for future study of post-transcriptional regulation in macrophages.