The Kinase IKKβ Regulates a STING- and NF-κB-Dependent Antiviral Response Pathway in Drosophila

Antiviral immunity in Drosophila involves RNA interference and poorly characterized inducible responses. Here, we showed that two components of the IMD pathway, the kinase dIKK beta and the transcription factor Relish, were required to control infection by two picorna-like viruses. We identified a set of genes induced by viral infection and regulated by dIKK beta and Relish, which included an ortholog of STING. We showed that dSTING participated in the control of infection by picorna-like viruses, acting upstream of dIKK beta to regulate expression of Nazo, an antiviral factor. Our data reveal an antiviral function for STING in an animal model devoid of interferons and suggest an evolutionarily ancient role for this molecule in antiviral immunity.