Work

The Interferon (IFN) Class of Cytokines and the IFN Regulatory Factor (IRF) Transcription Factor Family

Year: 2017

Type: preprint

Abstract: Interferons (IFNs) are a broad class of cytokines elicited on challenge to the host defense and are essential for mobilizing immune responses to pathogens. Divided into three classes, type I, type II, and type III, all IFNs share in common the ability to evoke antiviral activities initiated by the interaction with their cognate receptors. The nine-member IFN regulatory factor (IRF) family, first discovered in the context of transcriptional regulation of type I IFN genes following viral infection, are pivotal for the regulation of the IFN responses. In this review, we briefly describe cardinal features of the three types of IFNs and then focus on the role of the IRF family members in the regulation of each IFN system.

Source: Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology

DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a028423

Authors: Hideo Negishi, Tadatsugu Taniguchi, Hideyuki Yanai

Institutions: Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, The University of Tokyo

Language: English

Topic: interferon and immune responses

Subfield: Immunology

Field: Immunology and Microbiology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Awards: Role of extracellular HMGB1 in promotion of inflammation, Elucidation of the host's homeostatic responses by the regulation of immune system and its application to the prevention and treatment of immunological disorders, G708607625, G7901734705, G8936952645