Efficient Dicer processing of virus-derived double-stranded RNAs and its modulation by RIG-I-like receptor LGP2

Author summary The function and mechanism of the interferon-regulated antiviral responses have been extensively characterized. Recent studies have demonstrated induction of antiviral RNA interference (RNAi) in somatic cells against several mammalian RNA viruses rendered incapable of RNAi suppression. However, little is known about Dicer-mediated production of virus-derived small-interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) in these cells active in the type I interferon response. Here we show that the dsRNA precursors of influenza vsiRNAs were processed more efficiently than cellular precursor microRNA hairpins by wild-type human Dicer expressed de novo in Dicer-knockout somatic cells. We found that infection of two strains of suckling mice with wild-type Nodamura virus (NoV) was associated with production of silencing-active vsiRNAs and direct sequestration of duplex vsiRNAs by its RNAi suppressor protein B2. Our findings from in vivo infection with Sindbis virus recombinants expressing NoV B2 or carrying a vsiRNA-targeted insert provide evidence for an antiviral function of the induced RNAi response. Interestingly, NoV infection induces expression of RIG-I-like receptor LGP2 to inhibit vsiRNA biogenesis and promote virulent infection in suckling mice. Our findings together reveal efficient Dicer processing of vsiRNA precursors in interferon-competent somatic cells and suckling mice in contrast to synthetic long dsRNA examined previously by in vitro dicing. The interferon-regulated antiviral responses are essential for the induction of both innate and adaptive immunity in mammals. Production of virus-derived small-interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) to restrict virus infection by RNA interference (RNAi) is a recently identified mammalian immune response to several RNA viruses, which cause important human diseases such as influenza and Zika virus. However, little is known about Dicer processing of viral double-stranded RNA replicative intermediates (dsRNA-vRIs) in mammalian somatic cells. Here we show that infected somatic cells produced more influenza vsiRNAs than cellular microRNAs when both were produced by human Dicer expressed de novo, indicating that dsRNA-vRIs are not poor Dicer substrates as previously proposed according to in vitro Dicer processing of synthetic long dsRNA. We report the first evidence both for canonical vsiRNA production during wild-type Nodamura virus infection and direct vsiRNA sequestration by its RNAi suppressor protein B2 in two strains of suckling mice. Moreover, Sindbis virus (SINV) accumulation in vivo was decreased by prior production of SINV-targeting vsiRNAs triggered by infection and increased by heterologous expression of B2 in cis from SINV genome, indicating an antiviral function for the induced RNAi response. These findings reveal that unlike artificial long dsRNA, dsRNA-vRIs made during authentic infection of mature somatic cells are efficiently processed by Dicer into vsiRNAs to direct antiviral RNAi. Interestingly, Dicer processing of dsRNA-vRIs into vsiRNAs was inhibited by LGP2 (laboratory of genetics and physiology 2), which was encoded by an interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) shown recently to inhibit Dicer processing of artificial long dsRNA in cell culture. Our work thus further suggests negative modulation of antiviral RNAi by a known ISG from the interferon response.

Automated summary

Recent studies have shown that antiviral RNA interference (RNAi) response in mammalian somatic cells is more efficient in producing vsiRNAs to restrict virus infection as compared to cellular microRNAs. The production of vsiRNAs during viral infection is processed efficiently by Dicer, leading to an antiviral RNAi response. Interestingly, Dicer processing of vsiRNAs is inhibited by LGP2, an interferon-stimulated gene known to modulate the effectiveness of RNA interference.