Double-stranded RNA induces an antiviral defense status in epidermal keratinocytes through TLR3-, PKR-, and MDA5/RIG-I-mediated differential signaling.

Emerging evidence suggests an important role for human epidermal keratinocytes in innate immune mechanisms against bacterial and viral skin infections. The proinflammatory effect of viral infections can be mimicked by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Herein, we demonstrate that keratinocytes express all known dsRNA sensing receptors at a constitutive and inducible level, and that they use several downstream signaling pathways leading to a broad pattern of gene expression, not only proinflammatory and immune response genes under the control of NF-kappaB, but also genes under transcriptional control of IRF3. As a consequence, dsRNA, a stimulus for TLR3, protein kinase R (PKR), and the RNA helicases retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) and MDA5, induces a status of antiviral defense in keratinocytes. Using inhibitors for the various dsRNA signaling pathways and specific small interfering RNA for TLR3, RIG-I, and MDA5, we demonstrated that in human keratinocytes, TLR3 seems to be necessary for NF-kappaB but not for IRF3 activation, whereas RIG-I and MDA5 are crucial for IRF3 activation. PKR is essential for the dsRNA response in both signaling pathways and thus represents the central antiviral receptor for dsRNA stimulation. Moreover, human keratinocytes up-regulate TLR7, the receptor for single-stranded RNA, in response to stimulation with dsRNA, which renders keratinocytes functionally responsive to the TLR7 agonist gardiquimod, a member of the imidazoquinoline antiviral immune response modifier family. Thus, in addition to building a physical barrier against infectious pathogens, keratinocytes are specially equipped with a full antiviral defense program that enables them to efficiently target viral infections of the skin.