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A Toll-like receptor–independent antiviral response induced by double-stranded B-form DNA

Nature Immunology volume 7, pages 40–48 (2006)Cite this article

An Erratum to this article was published on 01 April 2006

This article has been updated

Abstract

The innate immune system recognizes nucleic acids during infection or tissue damage; however, the mechanisms of intracellular recognition of DNA have not been fully elucidated. Here we show that intracellular administration of double-stranded B-form DNA (B-DNA) triggered antiviral responses including production of type I interferons and chemokines independently of Toll-like receptors or the helicase RIG-I. B-DNA activated transcription factor IRF3 and the promoter of the gene encoding interferon-β through a signaling pathway that required the kinases TBK1 and IKKi, whereas there was substantial activation of transcription factor NF-κB independent of both TBK and IKKi. IPS-1, an adaptor molecule linking RIG-I and TBK1, was involved in B-DNA-induced activation of interferon-β and NF-κB. B-DNA signaling by this pathway conferred resistance to viral infection in a way dependent on both TBK1 and IKKi. These results suggest that both TBK1 and IKKi are required for innate immune activation by B-DNA, which might be important in antiviral innate immunity and other DNA-associated immune disorders.

*Note: In the version of this article initially published, the GEO database accession number is missing. This should be the final subsection of Methods, as follows: code. GEO: microarray data, GSE4171. The error has been corrected in the PDF version of the article.

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Figure 1: Activation of MEFs by dsDNA to produce type I interferons and chemokines.
Figure 2: B-DNA activation requires TBK1 and, in part, IKKi, but not TLRs or RIG-I.
Figure 3: B-DNA-induced IFN-β and NF-κB requires IPS-1.
Figure 4: Effects of B-DNA-induced EF activation on viral infection.
Figure 5: B-DNA stimulates DCs via TBK1.

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Change history

  • 10 March 2006

    In the version of this article initially published, the GEO database accession number is missing. This should be the final subsection of Methods, as follows: Accession code. GEO: microarray data, GSE4171. The error has been corrected in the PDF version of the article.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Y. Fujita for technical support; K. Matsui, T. Hirotani and H. Kumar for support; K. Sakurai and N. Shimada for circular dichroism measurement of the DNA-lipid complex; T. Abe and Y. Matsuura for providing VSV; H. Shirota for discussions; T. Majima and K. Kawai for providing Z-DNA and for discussions; and other members of Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency and the Department of Host Defense, Osaka University, for support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    Ken J Ishii, Taro Kawai, Osamu Takeuchi & Shizuo Akira

  2. Department of Host Defense, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    Ken J Ishii, Cevayir Coban, Hiroki Kato, Ken Takahashi, Yuichi Torii, Hiroaki Hemmi, Shintaro Sato, Masahiro Yamamoto, Satoshi Uematsu, Taro Kawai, Osamu Takeuchi & Shizuo Akira

  3. The 21st Century COE, Combined Program on Microbiology and Immunology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    Cevayir Coban & Shizuo Akira

  4. Department of Molecular Biodefense Research, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan

    Fumihiko Takeshita

  5. Abteilung fur Virologie, Paul-Ehrlich Institut, Langen, 63225, Germany

    Holger Ludwig & Gerd Sutter

  6. Department of Host Defense, Leprosy Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 189-0002, Japan

    Koichi Suzuki

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Supplementary information

Supplementary Fig. 1

Mda-5 is not involved in B-DNA-induced type-I IFN and chemokine inductions. (PDF 122 kb)

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Ishii, K., Coban, C., Kato, H. et al. A Toll-like receptor–independent antiviral response induced by double-stranded B-form DNA. Nat Immunol 7, 40–48 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/ni1282

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