In the first cells invaded during infection, usually fibroblasts, endothelial and epithelial cells, viruses are engaged by two classes of intracellular nucleic acid sensors when entering the cytosol: the retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-like receptors (RLRs) which sense aberrant RNA structures generated during cytosolic viral replication and several DNA sensors including cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), interferon-gamma inducible protein 16 (IFI16) and DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) that detect aberrantly localised double-stranded DNA (reviewed in [13]). This evidence concerns the gene IFI16 and infection.