{
  "abstract": "The cytosolic RNA sensor RIG-I is a critical component of the innate immune response to RNA viruses, yet few tools exist to track RIG-I in vivo. Herein, we report the development of a RIG-I reporter mouse, termed RIG-ImScar, that enables fluorescence imaging and tractable immunoprecipitation of RIG-I in vivo. These mice revealed enrichment of RIG-I expression in circulatory, lymphoid, and mucosal tissues and broad expression across immune cell types. RIG-I itself is upregulated in response to IFN. To distinguish RIG-I sentinel cells, which are programmed to express RIG-I at steady state, from IFN-responder cells, we crossed RIG-ImScar mice with Mx1GFP mice. Blocking IFNAR with a monoclonal antibody showed that basal RIG-I expression in immune cells was largely independent of type I IFN signaling, although Ly6Chi monocytes required IFNAR for RIG-I expression. To probe functional responses in vivo, we intranasally administered a RIG-I-specific agonist, SLR14. Mapping RIG-I expression across the lung identified alveolar macrophages as a critical RIG-I sensor cell population, and depletion of alveolar macrophages, but not neutrophils, slightly impaired lung IFN responses. Together, these findings support the use of the RIG-ImScar model to probe RIG-I dynamics in vivo and predict functional sensor cell populations across tissues.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Yale University School of Medicine"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 12,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "S. A. Ehrenzeller"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. C. Hinesley"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Borunda"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Liu"
    },
    {
      "name": "D. O. Richards"
    },
    {
      "name": "D.-i. Kwon"
    },
    {
      "name": "T. M. Mehrmann"
    },
    {
      "name": "W. M. Phillbrick"
    },
    {
      "name": "D. T. Thoresen"
    },
    {
      "name": "R. A. Flavell"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. M. Pyle"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "A. Iwasaki"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9j72p7y1rjnqa.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.11.04.764288",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.04.764288v1.full",
  "id": "9j72p7y1rjnqa",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.04.764288v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "immunology"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.04.764288v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-04",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9j72p7y1rjnqa.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-06T12:21:02Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.11.04.764288",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.04.764288v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:immunology",
      "subfield": "immunology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "A reporter mouse model to map RIG-I expression and function in vivo",
  "title_text": "A reporter mouse model to map RIG-I expression and function in vivo",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-08T00:20:58Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9j72p7y1rjnqa",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}