Assays to Measure Suppression of Type I Interferon Responses by Filovirus VP35 Proteins

Innate immunity is the first line of defense against virus infections and is marked by production of type I interferons (IFN), a family of cytokines that includes IFN-β and several IFN-αs. For the filoviruses and many other RNA viruses that replicate in the cytoplasm, the RIG-I-like pattern recognition receptors (RLRs) are potential triggers of IFN production. To counteract such innate antiviral responses, many viruses encode proteins that antagonize RLR signaling. Ebola virus (EBOV) and other filoviruses produce VP35 proteins that block IFN induction via RLR signaling. We describe here cell-based reporter gene assays that quantify the IFN-antagonist function of filovirus VP35 proteins by assessing activation of the IFN-β promoter.