Mice Lacking the Type I Interferon Receptor Are Resistant to Listeria monocytogenes

V Auerbuch, DG Brockstedt, N Meyer-Morse… - The Journal of …, 2004 - rupress.org
V Auerbuch, DG Brockstedt, N Meyer-Morse, M O'Riordan, DA Portnoy
The Journal of experimental medicine, 2004rupress.org
Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative intracellular pathogen that induces a cytosolic
signaling cascade resulting in expression of interferon (IFN)-β. Although type I IFNs are
critical in viral defense, their role in immunity to bacterial pathogens is much less clear. In
this study, we addressed the role of type I IFNs by examining the infection of L.
monocytogenes in BALB/c mice lacking the type I IFN receptor (IFN-α/βR−/−). During the first
24 h of infection in vivo, IFN-α/βR−/− and wild-type mice were similar in terms of L …
Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative intracellular pathogen that induces a cytosolic signaling cascade resulting in expression of interferon (IFN)-β. Although type I IFNs are critical in viral defense, their role in immunity to bacterial pathogens is much less clear. In this study, we addressed the role of type I IFNs by examining the infection of L. monocytogenes in BALB/c mice lacking the type I IFN receptor (IFN-α/βR−/−). During the first 24 h of infection in vivo, IFN-α/βR−/− and wild-type mice were similar in terms of L. monocytogenes survival. In addition, the intracellular fate of L. monocytogenes in macrophages cultured from IFN-α/βR−/− and wild-type mice was indistinguishable. However, by 72 h after inoculation in vivo, IFN-α/βR−/− mice were ∼1,000-fold more resistant to a high dose L. monocytogenes infection. Resistance was correlated with elevated levels of interleukin 12p70 in the blood and increased numbers of CD11b+ macrophages producing tumor necrosis factor α in the spleen of IFN-α/βR−/− mice. The results of this study suggest that L. monocytogenes might be exploiting an innate antiviral response to promote its pathogenesis.
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