Alpha/beta interferon receptor deficiency in mice significantly enhances susceptibility of the animals to pseudorabies virus infection

Pseudorabies virus, one of the neurotropic viruses, can infect numerous mammals. In particular, pseudorabies virus infection of swine occurs worldwide, and is a major threat to swine industry. However, the mechanism underlying the interaction between pseudorabies virus and host innate immune system is not fully understood. Here, we investigated the involvement of interferon α/β (IFN-α/β) receptor (IFNAR) in the pathogenesis of pseudorabies virus in a mouse model. The results showed that IFNAR-deficient (IFNAR−/−) mice were highly susceptible to the virus infection, as evidenced by markedly reduced survival rate of infected animals and increased viral replication. The expression of IFN-α/β and relevant interferon-stimulated genes in IFNAR−/− mice was significantly lower than that in wild-type (WT) littermates after the viral infection. Moreover, in response to the virus challenge, IFNAR−/− mice displayed elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-1β, and IFNAR−/− cells showed increased phosphorylation of STAT3. Collectively, these data reveal that the IFNAR−/− mice are more sensitive to pseudorabies virus infection than WT animals, and excessive IL-6/STAT3 response in IFNAR−/− mice may contribute to the pathogenesis. Our findings suggest that type I IFNs/IFNAR-dependent homeostatic control of the innate immunity is required for host defense against pseudorabies virus infection.