The present invention provides a method for screening inductive promoting
substances of anti-viral proteins such as IFN-.beta. against LPS
stimulation or viral infection by using TBK1 knockout mice, or the
tissues or cells derived therefrom. The present invention also provides a
method for screening substances promoting responses against LPS
stimulation or viral infection which may comprise the steps of
measuring/estimating the induction level of anti-viral proteins such as
IFN-.beta. against ligands recognized by TLR4 or substances containing
thereof in mice wherein a part or a whole of TANK binding kinase-1 (TBK1)
genes on its chromosome is deleted and is lacking the function to express
TBK1 which is expressed in wild-type, or the tissues or cells derived
therefrom; by using the mice, or the tissues or cells derived therefrom,
a test substance, and the ligands recognized by TLR4 or substances
containing thereof.