IPS-1 Is Essential for the Control of West Nile Virus Infection and Immunity

Suthar, Mehul S.; Ma, Daphne Y.; Thomas, Sunil; Lund, Jennifer M.; Zhang, Nu; Daffis, Stephane; Rudensky, Alexander Y.; Bevan, Michael J.; Clark, Edward A.; Kaja, Murali-Krishna; Diamond, Michael S.; Gale, Michael

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-transmitted RNA virus that has emerged in the Western hemisphere and is now the leading cause of arboviral encephalitis in the United States. However, the virus/host interface that controls WNV pathogenesis is not well understood. Previous studies have established that the innate immune response and interferon (IFN) defenses are essential for controlling virus replication and dissemination. In this study, we assessed the importance of the RIG-I like receptor (RLR) signaling pathway in WNV pathogenesis through analysis of mice lacking IPS-1, the central adaptor molecule of RLR signaling. Our studies revealed that IPS-1 is essential for protection against WNV infection and that it regulates processes that control virus replication and triggering of innate immune defenses. We found that IPS-1 plays an important role in establishing adaptive immunity through an innate/adaptive interface that elicits effective antibody responses and controls the expansion of regulatory T cells. Thus, RLRs are essential for pathogen recognition of WNV infection and their signaling programs help orchestrate immune response maturation, regulation of inflammation, and immune homeostasis that define the outcome of WNV infection.