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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.10.09.681519

Spatio-temporal modelling of in vitro viral infection: the impact of defective interfering particles on type I interferon response

Li, Y.·Nielsen, B. F.·Levin, S. A.·te Velthuis, A. J. W.·Grenfell, B.
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Abstract

Defective interfering particles (DIPs) are incomplete viral genomes that modulate infection by competing with wild-type viruses and activating innate immunity. How DIPs interact with type I interferon (IFN) in spatially structured environments remains unclear. Focusing initially on influenza A, we developed a spatially explicit, stochastic model of in vitro viral infection integrating virus and DIP replication, IFN signalling, and alternative dispersal modes. We find that: (1) our model captures the ring-like and patchy plaque morphologies observed experimentally; (2) IFN production peaks at an intermediate DIP ratio, reflecting a trade-off between early immune activation and sufficient co-infection; and (3) even a small fraction of long-range spread of virus and DIPs escape containment despite longer IFN ranges; this causes stronger antiviral responses but earlier peaks in lysis at similar levels of cell loss. The model is available as an interactive platform: https://shiny-spatial-infection-app-production.up.railway.app/.

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Li, Y., Nielsen, B. F., Levin, S. A., te Velthuis, A. J. W., Grenfell, B.. 2025-10-10. Spatio-temporal modelling of in vitro viral infection: the impact of defective interfering particles on type I interferon response. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.10.09.681519

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