Type-I IFNs induce GBPs and lysosomal defense in hepatocytes to control malaria

Plasmodium parasites undergo development and replication within the hepatocytes before infecting the erythrocytes and initiating clinical malaria. Although type-I interferons (IFNs) are known to hinder Plasmodium infection within the liver, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we describe two IFN-I-driven hepatocyte antimicrobial programs controlling liver-stage malaria. First, oxidative defense by NADPH oxidases 2 and 4 triggers a pathway of lysosomal fusion with the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) to help clear Plasmodium . Second, guanylate-binding protein (GBP) 1 disruption of the PV activates caspase-1 inflammasome, inducing pyroptosis to remove the infected host cells. Remarkably, both human and mouse hepatocytes enlist these cell-autonomous immune programs to eliminate Plasmodium ; their pharmacologic or genetic inhibition led to profound malarial susceptibility, and are essential in vivo . In addition to identifying the IFN-I-mediated cell-autonomous immune circuits controlling Plasmodium infection in the hepatocytes, this study extends our understanding of how non-immune cells are integral to protective immunity against malaria.