Pigeon TBK1 is involved in antiviral innate immunity by mediating IFN activation

TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1), a noncanonical member of the inhibitor-kappaB kinases (IKKs) family, plays a vital role in regulating type-I interferon (IFN) production in mammals and birds. We cloned pigeon TBK1 (PiTBK1) and conducted bioinformatics analyses to compare the protein homology of TBK1 from different species. Overexpression of PiTBK1 in DF-1 cells induced the activation of IFN-β, and this activation positively correlated with the dosage of transfected PiTBK1 plasmids. In pigeon embryonic fibroblasts (PEFs) cells, it does the same. And the STK and Ubl domain are essential for IFN-β activation. Consistent with the previous results, when PiTBK1 expressed more, NDV replication was lower. Our results suggest that PiTBK1 is an important regulator of IFNs and plays a pivotal role in antiviral innate immunity in pigeon. •Full length of PiTBK1 was identified and its basic characteristics was investigated.•The STK and Ubl domain of TBK1 are eseential to IFN-β promoter activity.•Viral invasion upregulated PiTBK1 expression, and overexpressing PiTBK1 inhibits viral infection via augmenting IFN activation.