Association of RIG-I with innate immunity of ducks to influenza

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Mar 30;107(13):5913-8. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1001755107. Epub 2010 Mar 22.

Abstract

Ducks and wild waterfowl perpetuate all strains of influenza viruses in nature. In their natural host, influenza viruses typically cause asymptomatic infection and little pathology. Ducks are often resistant to influenza viruses capable of killing chickens. Here, we show that the influenza virus sensor, RIG-I, is present in ducks and plays a role in clearing an influenza infection. We show evidence suggesting that RIG-I may be absent in chickens, providing a plausible explanation for their increased susceptibility to influenza viruses compared with ducks. RIG-I detects RNA ligands derived from uncapped viral transcripts and initiates the IFN response. In this study, we show that the chicken embryonic fibroblast cell line, DF-1, cannot respond to a RIG-I ligand. However, transfection of duck RIG-I into DF-1 cells rescues the detection of ligand and induces IFN-beta promoter activity. Additionally, DF-1 cells expressing duck RIG-I have an augmented IFN response resulting in decreased influenza replication after challenge with either low or highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. Implicating RIG-I in the antiviral response to an infection in vivo, we found that RIG-I expression is induced 200 fold, early in an innate immune response in ducks challenged with the H5N1 virus A/Vietnam/1203/04. Finding this natural disease resistance gene in ducks opens the possibility of increasing influenza resistance through creation of a transgenic chicken.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Avian Proteins / genetics*
  • Avian Proteins / immunology*
  • Base Sequence
  • Chickens / genetics
  • Chickens / immunology
  • DNA Primers / genetics
  • Ducks / genetics*
  • Ducks / immunology*
  • Immunity, Innate / genetics*
  • Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / genetics
  • Influenza in Birds / genetics
  • Influenza in Birds / immunology
  • Influenza in Birds / virology
  • Interferon-beta / genetics
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • RNA Interference
  • RNA, Viral / genetics
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Species Specificity
  • Transfection

Substances

  • Avian Proteins
  • DNA Primers
  • RNA, Viral
  • Interferon-beta

Associated data

  • GENBANK/EU363349
  • GENBANK/GU936632