Lack of Interferon (IFN) Regulatory Factor 8 Associated with Restricted IFN-γ Response Augmented Japanese Encephalitis Virus Replication in the Mouse Brain
Aarti Tripathi, Bhupendra Singh Rawat, Sankar Addya, Milan Surjit, Prafullakumar Tailor, Sudhanshu Vrati, Arup Banerjee
Abstract
Microglial cells, the resident macrophages in the brain, play a vital role in Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) pathogenesis. The deregulated activity of microglia can be lethal for the brain. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the regulators that drive microglia phenotype changes and induce inflammation in the brain. Interferon regulatory factor 8 (IRF8) is a myeloid lineage transcription factor involved in microglial activation. However, the impact of IRF8 modulation on JEV replication remains elusive. Moreover, the pathways regulated by IRF8 to initiate and amplify pathological neuroinflammation are not well understood. Here, we demonstrated the effect of IRF8 modulation on JEV replication, microglial activation, and immune cells infiltration in the brain.