The gut microbiota limits systemic inflammation during neurotrophic viral CNS infection by priming tonic type I interferon signaling.

ABSTRACT: Neurotropic viruses, such as Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), trigger central nervous system (CNS) inflammation primarily through disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and infiltration of peripheral immune cells. Although the gut microbiota is known to regulate diverse immunopathological processes, its contribution to CNS neuroinflammation and systemic immune responses during neurotropic viral infection remains poorly understood. Here, we show that depletion of gut microbiota by antibiotic cocktail treatment markedly increases susceptibility to CNS neuroinflammation following JEV infection. Loss of microbiota promoted viral dissemination into extraneural tissues, aggravated systemic inflammation and organ damage, and impaired tonic type I interferon (IFN-I) responses and hematopoie

SUBMITTER: Cho HW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12584447 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature