Conservation of the STING-Mediated Cytosolic DNA Sensing Pathway in Zebrafish

Abstract

The zebrafish larva provides technical advantages for understanding host-pathogen interactions. In this study, we established the zebrafish larva as a useful model for studying HSV-1 infection. HSV-1 infection triggers strong type I interferon production, which depends on STING expression. In addition, STING-mediated antiviral signaling is conserved in zebrafish. Interestingly, zDHX9 and zDDX41 are indispensable for detecting HSV-1, while cGAS is dispensable. This proof-of-concept study indicates that the zebrafish represents an amenable model for the investigation of cytosolic DNA sensing mechanisms.