Increased IFNα production contributes to the pathogenesis of infectious and autoimmune diseases. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) from females produce more IFNα upon TLR7 stimulation than pDCs from males, yet the mechanisms underlying this difference remain unclear. Here, we show that basal levels of interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) in pDCs were significantly higher in females compared to males and positively correlated with the percentage of IFNα-secreting pDCs. Delivery of recombinant IRF5 protein into human primary pDCs increased TLR7-mediated IFNα secretion. In mice, genetic ablation of the estrogen receptor 1 (Esr1) gene in the hematopoietic compartment or DC lineage reduced IRF5 mRNA expression in pDCs and IFNα production. IRF5 mRNA levels furthermore correlated with Esr1 mRNA levels in human pDCs, consistent with IRF5 regulation at the transcriptional level by Esr1. Taken together, these data demonstrate a critical mechanism by which sex differences in basal pDC IRF5 expression lead to higher IFNα production upon TLR7 stimulation in females, and provide novel targets for the modulation of immune responses and inflammation.

Viruses often interfere with the DNA damage response to better replicate in their hosts. The human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) viral protein R (Vpr) protein has been reported to modulate the activity of the DNA repair structure-specific endonuclease subunit (SLX4) complex and to promote cell cycle arrest. Vpr also interferes with the base-excision repair pathway by antagonizing the uracil DNA glycosylase (Ung2) enzyme. Using an unbiased quantitative proteomic screen, we report that Vpr down-regulates helicase-like transcription factor (HLTF), a DNA translocase involved in the repair of damaged replication forks. Vpr subverts the DDB1-cullin4-associatedfactor 1 (DCAF1) adaptor of the Cul4A ubiquitin ligase to trigger proteasomal degradation of HLTF. This event takes place rapidly after Vpr delivery to cells, before and independently of Vpr-mediated G2 arrest. HLTF is degraded in lymphocytic cells and macrophages infected with Vpr-expressing HIV-1. Our results reveal a previously unidentified strategy for HIV-1 to antagonize DNA repair in host cells.HIV | restriction factor | DNA repair | Vpr target | SILAC