TLR7 is a key regulator of innate immunity against Japanese encephalitis virus infection

Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) known to recognize guanidine-rich ssRNA has been shown to mount vital host defense mechanism against many viruses including flaviviruses. Signal transduction through TLR7 has been shown to produce type-1 interferon and proinflammatory mediators, thereby initiating essential innate immune response against ssRNA viruses in hosts. Systemic and brain specific TLR7 knock-down mice (TLR7(KD)) were generated using vivo-morpholinos. These mice were then subcutaneously challenged with lethal dose of JEV (GP78 strain) and were subsequently analyzed for survival. Significant difference in susceptibility to JEV between wild-type and systemic TLR7(KD) mice was observed whereas, no difference in susceptibility to JEV infection was seen in brain-specific TLR7(KD) mice. Significant decreases in IFN-α and antiviral proteins were also observed in both TLR7(KD) mice along with increased viral loads in their brain. Owing to increased viral load, increases in levels of various proinflammatory cyto/chemokines, increased microglial activation and infiltration of peripheral immune cells in brain of TLR7(KD) mice were also observed. Immunocytochemistry and RNA co-immunoprecipitation performed with JEV-infected N2a or HT22 cells indicated endosomal localization and confirmed interaction between JEV ssRNA with TLR7. Treatment of mice with imiquimod, a TLR7 agonist, prior to JEV infection resulted in their increased survival. Overall, our results suggest that the TLR7 response following JEV infection promotes type-1 interferon production and generation of antiviral state which might contribute to protective effect in systemic infection.