ISG15 Regulates Peritoneal Macrophages Functionality against Viral Infection

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003632
• Publication Date: 2013-10-11T16:23:46Z
• Authors: Emilio Yángüez; Alicia García-Cul...; Aldo Frau; Catalina Llompart; Klaus-Peter Knobe...; Sylvia Gutierrez-...; Adolfo García-Sastre; Mariano Esteban; Amelia Nieto; Susana Guerra
• Keywords: ISG15; Interferon type I

Upon viral infection, the production of type I interferon (IFN) and subsequent upregulation IFN stimulated genes (ISGs) generate an antiviral state with important role in activation innate adaptive host immune responses. The ubiquitin-like protein (UBL) ISG15 is a critical IFN-induced molecule that protects against several infections, but mechanism by which exerts its function not completely understood. Here, we report plays regulation macrophage ISG15−/− macrophages display reduced activation, phagocytic capacity programmed cell death response to vaccinia virus (VACV) infection. Moreover, peritoneal from mice lacking are neither able phagocyte infected cells nor block infection co-culture experiments VACV-infected murine embryonic fibroblast (MEFs). This phenotype independent cytokine secretion, clearly correlates impaired kinase AKT knock-out (KO) macrophages. Altogether, these results indicate essential cellular point out better understanding responses triggered may lead development therapies human pathogens.