Dicer is Involved in Protection Against Influenza A Virus Infection

In mammals the interferon (IFN) system is a central innate antiviral defence mechanism, while the involvement of RNA interference (RNAi) in antiviral response against RNA viruses is uncertain. Here, we tested whether RNAi is involved in the antiviral response in mammalian cells. To investigate the role of RNAi in influenza A virus-infected cells in the absence of IFN, we used Vero cells that lack IFN-alpha and IFN-beta genes. Our results demonstrate that knockdown of a key RNAi component, Dicer, led to a modest increase of virus production and accelerated apoptosis of influenza A virus-infected cells. These effects were much weaker in the presence of IFN. The results also show that in both Vero cells and the IFN-producing alveolar epithelial A549 cell line influenza A virus targets Dicer at mRNA and protein levels. Thus, RNAi is involved in antiviral response, and Dicer is important for protection against influenza A virus infection.