Protein kinase R induced by type I interferons is a main regulator of reactive microglia in Zika virus infection

Abstract Microglial cells are the phagocytic cells of the brain that under physiological conditions participate in brain homeostasis and surveillance. Under pathogenic states, microglia undergoes strong morphological and transcriptional changes potentially leading to sustained neuroinflammation, brain damage, and cognitive disorders. Postnatal and adult Zika virus (ZIKV) brain infection is characterized by the induction of reactive microglia associated with brain inflammation, synapse loss and neuropathogenesis. Contrary to neurons, microglial cells are not infected by ZIKV thus raising the question of the mechanism governing ZIKV‐induced microglia's reactivity. In this work, we have questioned the role of exogenous, neuronal type I interferons (IFNs‐I) in regulating ZIKV‐induced microglia's reactivity. Primary cultured microglial cells were either treated with conditioned media from ZIKV‐infected mature neurons or co‐cultured with ZIKV‐infected neurons. Using either an antibody directed against the IFNAR receptor that neutralizes the IFNs‐I response or Ifnar −/−microglial cells, we demonstrate that IFNs‐I produced by ZIKV‐infected neurons are the main regulators of the phagocytic capacity and the pro‐inflammatory gene expression profile of reactive, non‐infected microglial cells. We identify protein kinase R (PKR), whose expression is activated by IFNs‐I, as a major regulator of the phagocytic capacity, pro‐inflammatory response, and morphological changes of microglia induced by IFNs‐I while up‐regulating STAT1 phosphorylation and IRF1 expression. Results obtained herein in vitro with primary cultured cells and in vivo in ZIKV‐infected adult immunocompetent mice, unravel a role for IFNs‐I and PKR in directly regulating microglia's reactivity that could be at work in other infectious and non‐infectious brain pathologies.