Concomitant TLR/RLH signaling of radioresistant and radiosensitive cells is essential for protection against vesicular stomatitis virus infection

Several studies indicated that TLR as well as retinoic acid–inducible gene I–like helicase (RLH) signaling contribute to vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)–mediated triggering of type I IFN (IFN-I) responses. Nevertheless, TLR-deficient MyD88−/−Trif−/− mice and RLH-deficient caspase activation and recruitment domain adaptor inducing IFN-β (Cardif)−/− mice showed only marginally enhanced susceptibility to lethal VSV i.v. infection. Therefore, we addressed whether concomitant TLR and RLH signaling, or some other additional mechanism, played a role. To this end, we generated MyD88−/−Trif−/−Cardif−/− (MyTrCa−/−) mice that succumbed to low-dose i.v. VSV infection with similar kinetics as IFN-I receptor–deficient mice. Three independent approaches (i.e., analysis of IFN-α/β serum levels, experiments with IFN-β reporter mice, and investigation of local IFN-stimulated gene induction) revealed that MyTrCa−/− mice did not mount IFN-I responses following VSV infection. Of note, treatment with rIFN-α protected the animals, qualifying MyTrCa−/− mice as a model to study the contribution of different immune cell subsets to the production of antiviral IFN-I. Upon adoptive transfer of wild-type plasmacytoid dendritic cells and subsequent VSV infection, MyTrCa−/− mice displayed significantly reduced viral loads in peripheral organs and showed prolonged survival. On the contrary, adoptive transfer of wild-type myeloid dendritic cells did not have such effects. Analysis of bone marrow chimeric mice revealed that TLR and RLH signaling of radioresistant and radiosensitive cells was required for efficient protection. Thus, upon VSV infection, plasmacytoid dendritic cell–derived IFN-I primarily protects peripheral organs, whereas concomitant TLR and RLH signaling of radioresistant stroma cells as well as of radiosensitive immune cells is needed to effectively protect against lethal disease.