Peptidoglycan Signaling in Innate Immunity and Inflammatory Disease

The ability to detect harmful pathogens and eradicate them is essential for the survival of an organism. One of the first lines of defense is the innate immune system, a broad specificity inflammatory response characterized by the recruitment and activation of phagocytes. This type of immune response is well conserved from invertebrates through higher mammals and is stimulated by the recognition of conserved components of microorganisms called pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs).1 These PAMPs consist of molecules not found in the host, including bacterial cell wall components such as peptidoglycan (PGN).