The Innate Immune Playbook for Restricting West Nile Virus Infection

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Kendra M. Quicke, Emory University; Mehul S. Suthar, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2013-10-30
• Publisher: MDPI
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2013 by the authors
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
• Final Published Version (URL): http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/5/11/2643
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Viruses
• ISSN: 1999-4915
• Volume: 5
• Issue: 11
• Start Page: 2643
• End Page: 2658
• Grant/Funding Information: The Suthar laboratory is supported by funding from the NIH Grant U19AI057266, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Emory Vaccine Center, the Georgia Research Alliance, and the Emory University Research Committee.
• Keywords: encephalitis; innate immunity; flavivirus; West Nile virus; interferon; RIG-I-like receptor; pathogenesis; antiviral gene; Nod-like receptor; Toll-like receptor
• Research Categories: Biology, Virology; Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Immunology

Abstract

West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes annual epidemics of encephalitic disease throughout the world. Despite the ongoing risk to public health, no approved vaccines or therapies exist for use in humans to prevent or combat WNV infection. The innate immune response is critical for controlling WNV replication, limiting virus-induced pathology, and programming protective humoral and cell-mediated immunity to WNV infection. The RIG-I like receptors, Toll-like receptors, and Nod-like receptors detect and respond to WNV by inducing a potent antiviral defense program, characterized by production of type I IFN, IL-1β and expression of antiviral effector genes. Recent research efforts have focused on uncovering the mechanisms of innate immune sensing, antiviral effector genes that inhibit WNV, and countermeasures employed by WNV to antagonize innate immune cellular defenses. In this review, we highlight the major research findings pertaining to innate immune regulation of WNV infection. Keywords: flavivirus, pathogenesis, encephalitis, RIG-I-like receptor, Toll-like receptor, Nod-like receptor, antiviral gene, innate immunity, interferon, West Nile virus