The early wound signals

Wounding of tissue barriers, such as epithelia, disrupts homeostasis and allows infection. Within minutes, animals detect injury and respond to it by recruitment of phagocytes and barrier breach closure. The signals that activate these first events are scarcely known. Commonly considered are cytoplasmic factors released into the extracellular space by lysing cells (Damage Associated Molecular Patterns, DAMPs). DAMPs activate inflammatory gene transcription through pattern recognition receptors. But the promptness of wound responses is difficult to explain by transcriptional mechanisms alone. This review highlights the emerging role of nonlytic stress signals in the rapid detection of wounds.