Essential role of mda-5 in type I IFN responses to polyriboinosinic:polyribocytidylic acid and encephalomyocarditis picornavirus

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 May 30;103(22):8459-64. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0603082103. Epub 2006 May 19.

Abstract

The innate immune system recognizes viral dsRNA through two distinct pathways; the Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) pathway detects dsRNA phagocytosed in endosomes; the helicases retinoic acid-induced protein I (RIG-I) and melanoma differentiation-associated gene-5 (mda-5) detect cytoplasmic dsRNA generated during viral replication. Both RIG-I and mda-5 can bind polyriboinosinic:polyribocytidylic acid (polyI:C), the synthetic analog of viral dsRNA, and mediate type I IFN responses to polyI:C and multiple RNA viruses in vitro. We generated mda-5-deficient mice and showed that mda-5 is the dominant receptor mediating type I IFN secretion in response to polyI:C in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, mda-5-/- mice exhibited a selectively impaired antiviral response to encephalomyocarditis picornavirus, indicating functional specialization of mda-5 in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow Cells / cytology
  • Cardiovirus Infections / genetics
  • Cardiovirus Infections / immunology*
  • Cardiovirus Infections / pathology
  • Cardiovirus Infections / virology
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • DEAD-box RNA Helicases
  • Dendritic Cells / cytology
  • Dendritic Cells / drug effects
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Dendritic Cells / metabolism
  • Disease Susceptibility
  • Encephalomyocarditis virus / immunology*
  • Interferon Type I / immunology*
  • Interferon Type I / metabolism
  • Interferon-Induced Helicase, IFIH1
  • Macrophages / drug effects
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Polynucleotides / immunology*
  • RNA Helicases / deficiency
  • RNA Helicases / genetics
  • RNA Helicases / metabolism*
  • Survival Rate

Substances

  • Interferon Type I
  • Polynucleotides
  • poly(rI).poly(dC)
  • Ifih1 protein, mouse
  • DEAD-box RNA Helicases
  • Interferon-Induced Helicase, IFIH1
  • RNA Helicases