Sphingosine analog AAL-R promotes activation of LCMV-infected dendritic cells

Sphingosine analogs display diverse immunoregulatory activities with curative potential in autoimmune diseases and viral infections. Recently, the sphingosine analog AAL-R was shown to increase DC activation upon TLR7 stimulation. Here, we investigated the effect of AAL-R on activation of dendritic cells (DCs) infected by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). Concomitant treatment of LCMV-infected DCs with AAL-R enhanced DC maturation and DC ability to stimulate and expand antiviral CD8(+) T cells. Importantly, AAL-R's stimulatory activity was abrogated in type I interferon (IFN) receptor-deficient DCs following LCMV infection. In support of this observation, AAL-R increased type I IFN production from DCs infected with LCMV. Taken together, the sphingosine analog could directly act on DCs to promote defensive host DC responses to the viral invasion via type I IFN signaling.