Zika virus infection activates sting-dependent antiviral autophagy in the Drosophila brain

Abstract

Viral infection of neurons is pathogenic, yet the factors that govern innate control of neurons remain incompletely understood. Using a Drosophila model we have defined the essential role that inflammatory-dependent Sting activation plays in inducing antiviral macroautophagy/autophagy to restrict Zika infection in the fly brain. Our discovery that Sting is an essential mediator of innate defenses in Drosophila provides further support for an ancient and conserved pathway that likely evolved to target intracellular pathogens for autophagic destruction.