Mapping the innate signaling cascade essential for cytokine storm during influenza virus infection

During pathogenic influenza virus infection, robust cytokine production (cytokine storm), excessive inflammatory infiltrates, and virus-induced tissue destruction all contribute to morbidity and mortality. Earlier we reported that modulation of sphingosine-1-phosphate-1 receptor (S1P(1)R) signaling provided a chemically tractable approach for the effective blunting of cytokine storm, leading to the improvement of clinical and survival outcomes. Here, we show that S1P(1)R agonist treatment suppresses global cytokine amplification. Importantly, S1P(1)R agonist treatment was able to blunt cytokine/chemokine production and innate immune cell recruitment in the lung independently of endosomal and cytosolic innate sensing pathways. S1P(1)R signaling suppression of cytokine amplification was independent of multiple innate signaling adaptor pathways for myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88) and IFN-beta promoter stimulator-1 signaling, indicating a common pathway inhibition of cytokine storm. We identify the MyD88 adaptor molecule as responsible for the majority of cytokine amplification observed following influenza virus challenge.