Role of the transcriptional regulator SP140 in resistance to bacterial infections via repression of type I interferons

Type I interferons (IFNs) are essential for anti-viral immunity, but often impair protective immune responses during bacterial infections. How type I IFNs are strongly induced during viral infections, and yet are appropriately restrained during bacterial infections, remains poorly understood. The () locus in mice confers resistance to many bacterial infections. Here we provide evidence that is a gene encoded within the locus that functions to repress the expression of type I IFNs during bacterial infections. We generated mice and find they are susceptible to infection by diverse bacteria, including , , and . Susceptibility of mice to bacterial infection was rescued by crosses to mice lacking the type I IFN receptor (). Our results implicate as an important repressor of type I IFNs that is essential for resistance to bacterial infections.