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Journal ArticleDOI

Functional role of type I and type II interferons in antiviral defense.

24 Jun 1994-Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science)-Vol. 264, Iss: 5167, pp 1918-1921
TL;DR: Comparison of mice lacking either type I or type II IFN receptors showed that, at least in response to some viruses, both IFN systems are essential for antiviral defense and are functionally nonredundant.
Abstract: Mice lacking the known subunit of the type I interferon (IFN) receptor were completely unresponsive to type I IFNs, suggesting that this receptor chain is essential for type I IFN-mediated signal transduction. These mice showed no overt anomalies but were unable to cope with viral infections, despite otherwise normal immune responses. Comparison of mice lacking either type I or type II IFN receptors showed that, at least in response to some viruses, both IFN systems are essential for antiviral defense and are functionally nonredundant.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The current understanding of IFN‐γ ligand, receptor, ignal transduction, and cellular effects with a focus on macrophage responses and to a lesser extent, responses from other cell types that influence macrophages function during infection are reviewed.
Abstract: Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) coordinates a diverse array of cellular programs through transcriptional regulation of immunologically relevant genes. This article reviews the current understanding of IFN-gamma ligand, receptor, signal transduction, and cellular effects with a focus on macrophage responses and to a lesser extent, responses from other cell types that influence macrophage function during infection. The current model for IFN-gamma signal transduction is discussed, as well as signal regulation and factors conferring signal specificity. Cellular effects of IFN-gamma are described, including up-regulation of pathogen recognition, antigen processing and presentation, the antiviral state, inhibition of cellular proliferation and effects on apoptosis, activation of microbicidal effector functions, immunomodulation, and leukocyte trafficking. In addition, integration of signaling and response with other cytokines and pathogen-associated molecular patterns, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-4, type I IFNs, and lipopolysaccharide are discussed.

3,589 citations


Cites background from "Functional role of type I and type ..."

  • ...fend against a broad spectrum of pathogens [60, 61]....

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  • ...Although both types of IFN are crucial in the immediate cellular response to viral infection, the immunomodulatory activities of IFN- (discussed elsewhere) become important later in the response in coordinating the immune response and establishing an antiviral state for longer term control [54, 60, 328, 329]....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Much of the cellular response to IFN-gamma can be described in terms of a set of integrated molecular programs underlying well-defined physiological systems, for example the induction of efficient antigen processing for MHC-mediated antigen presentation, which play clearly defined roles in pathogen resistance.
Abstract: Interferons are cytokines that play a complex and central role in the resistance of mammalian hosts to pathogens. Type I interferon (IFN-alpha and IFN-beta) is secreted by virus-infected cells. Immune, type II, or gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma) is secreted by thymus-derived (T) cells under certain conditions of activation and by natural killer (NK) cells. Although originally defined as an agent with direct antiviral activity, the properties of IFN-gamma include regulation of several aspects of the immune response, stimulation of bactericidal activity of phagocytes, stimulation of antigen presentation through class I and class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, orchestration of leukocyte-endothelium interactions, effects on cell proliferation and apoptosis, as well as the stimulation and repression of a variety of genes whose functional significance remains obscure. The implementation of such a variety of effects by a single cytokine is achieved by complex patterns of cell-specific gene regulation: Several IFN-gamma-regulated genes are themselves components of transcription factors. The IFN-gamma response is itself regulated by interaction with responses to other cytokines including IFN-alpha/beta, TNF-alpha, and IL-4. Over 200 genes are now known to be regulated by IFN-gamma and they are listed in a World Wide Web document that accompanies this review. However, much of the cellular response to IFN-gamma can be described in terms of a set of integrated molecular programs underlying well-defined physiological systems, for example the induction of efficient antigen processing for MHC-mediated antigen presentation, which play clearly defined roles in pathogen resistance. A promising approach to the complexity of the IFN-gamma response is to extend the analysis of the less understood IFN-gamma-regulated genes in terms of molecular programs functional in pathogen resistance.

2,956 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Tremendous progress has been made in understanding the molecular basis of the antiviral actions of interferons (IFNs), as well as strategies evolved by viruses to antagonize the actions of IFNs.
Abstract: Tremendous progress has been made in understanding the molecular basis of the antiviral actions of interferons (IFNs), as well as strategies evolved by viruses to antagonize the actions of IFNs. Furthermore, advances made while elucidating the IFN system have contributed significantly to our understanding in multiple areas of virology and molecular cell biology, ranging from pathways of signal transduction to the biochemical mechanisms of transcriptional and translational control to the molecular basis of viral pathogenesis. IFNs are approved therapeutics and have moved from the basic research laboratory to the clinic. Among the IFN-induced proteins important in the antiviral actions of IFNs are the RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR), the 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS) and RNase L, and the Mx protein GTPases. Double-stranded RNA plays a central role in modulating protein phosphorylation and RNA degradation catalyzed by the IFN-inducible PKR kinase and the 2'-5'-oligoadenylate-dependent RNase L, respectively, and also in RNA editing by the IFN-inducible RNA-specific adenosine deaminase (ADAR1). IFN also induces a form of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS2) and the major histocompatibility complex class I and II proteins, all of which play important roles in immune response to infections. Several additional genes whose expression profiles are altered in response to IFN treatment and virus infection have been identified by microarray analyses. The availability of cDNA and genomic clones for many of the components of the IFN system, including IFN-alpha, IFN-beta, and IFN-gamma, their receptors, Jak and Stat and IRF signal transduction components, and proteins such as PKR, 2',5'-OAS, Mx, and ADAR, whose expression is regulated by IFNs, has permitted the generation of mutant proteins, cells that overexpress different forms of the proteins, and animals in which their expression has been disrupted by targeted gene disruption. The use of these IFN system reagents, both in cell culture and in whole animals, continues to provide important contributions to our understanding of the virus-host interaction and cellular antiviral response.

2,621 citations


Cites background from "Functional role of type I and type ..."

  • ...IFN- plays a major immunomodulatory role and is a key mediator of virus-specific cellular immunity (176, 187, 290)....

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  • ...IFN- / receptor-deficient mutant animals are highly susceptible to infection by an array of different viruses exemplified by members of the Poxviridae (vaccinia virus), Arenaviridae (lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus), Rhabdoviridae (vesicular stomatitis virus [VSV]), and Togaviridae (Sindbis virus, Semliki Forest virus, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus) despite the presence of an otherwise intact immune system and a normal resistance to the microbial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes (128, 146, 177, 290, 345, 416)....

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  • ...By contrast, IFN- receptor-deficient mice in which either the IFNGR-1 or IFNGR-2 gene has been disrupted are greatly impaired in their ability to resist a variety of microbial pathogens and some viral pathogens including vaccinia virus and herpes simplex virus (10, 48, 176, 244, 290)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
13 Jul 2020-Science
TL;DR: The results of this trio of studies suggest that the location, timing, and duration of IFN exposure are critical parameters underlying the success or failure of therapeutics for viral respiratory infections.
Abstract: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by distinct patterns of disease progression suggesting diverse host immune responses. We performed an integrated immune analysis on a cohort of 50 COVID-19 patients with various disease severity. A unique phenotype was observed in severe and critical patients, consisting of a highly impaired interferon (IFN) type I response (characterized by no IFN-β and low IFN-α production and activity), associated with a persistent blood viral load and an exacerbated inflammatory response. Inflammation was partially driven by the transcriptional factor NF-κB and characterized by increased tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 production and signaling. These data suggest that type-I IFN deficiency in the blood could be a hallmark of severe COVID-19 and provide a rationale for combined therapeutic approaches.

2,171 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This Review discusses four main effector pathways of the IFN-mediated antiviral response: the Mx GTPase pathway, the 2′,5′-oligoadenylate-synthetase-directed ribonuclease L pathways, the protein kinase R pathway and the ISG15 ubiquitin-like pathway.
Abstract: Since the discovery of interferons (IFNs), considerable progress has been made in describing the nature of the cytokines themselves, the signalling components that direct the cell response and their antiviral activities. Gene targeting studies have distinguished four main effector pathways of the IFN-mediated antiviral response: the Mx GTPase pathway, the 2',5'-oligoadenylate-synthetase-directed ribonuclease L pathway, the protein kinase R pathway and the ISG15 ubiquitin-like pathway. As discussed in this Review, these effector pathways individually block viral transcription, degrade viral RNA, inhibit translation and modify protein function to control all steps of viral replication. Ongoing research continues to expose additional activities for these effector proteins and has revealed unanticipated functions of the antiviral response.

1,927 citations


Cites background from "Functional role of type I and type ..."

  • ...Accordingly, IFNAR-deficient mice have increased susceptibility to numerous viruses but maintain resistance to other microbial pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes...

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References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This sequence allowed the determination of the hitherto unknown primary structure of rat GAPDH which is 333 aminoacids long and revealed a high degree of sequence conservation at both nucleotide and protein levels.
Abstract: We have isolated and sequenced a full-length cDNA clone encoding rat glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase (GAPDH, E.C.1.2.1.12). The entire mRNA is 1269 nucleotides long exclusive of poly(A) and contains respectively 71 and 196 bases of 5' and 3' non-coding regions. Primer extension as well as S1 nuclease protection experiments clearly established that a single (or at least a highly prominent) GAPDH mRNA species is expressed in all rat tissues examined. This sequence allowed the determination of the hitherto unknown primary structure of rat GAPDH which is 333 aminoacids long. Comparison between GAPDH sequences from rat, man and chicken revealed a high degree of sequence conservation at both nucleotide and protein levels.

2,029 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
24 Nov 1988-Nature
TL;DR: A positive and negative selection procedure is described that enriches 2,000-fold for those cells that contain a targeted mutation in mouse embryo-derived stem cells.
Abstract: Gene targeting—homologous recombination of DNA sequences residing in the chromosome with newly introduced DNA sequences—in mouse embryo-derived stem cells promises to provide a means to generate mice of any desired genotype. We describe a positive and negative selection procedure that enriches 2,000-fold for those cells that contain a targeted mutation. The procedure was applied to the isolation of hprt− and int-2− mutants, but it should be applicable to any gene

1,776 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
16 Apr 1992-Nature
TL;DR: It is now feasible to determine whether mice devoid of PrPc can propagate prions and are susceptible to scrapie pathogenesis.
Abstract: PrPC is a host protein anchored to the outer surface of neurons and to a lesser extent of lymphocytes and other cells. The transmissible agent (prion) responsible for scrapie is believed to be a modified form of PrPC. Mice homozygous for disrupted PrP genes have been generated. Surprisingly, they develop and behave normally for at least seven months, and no immunological defects are apparent. It is now feasible to determine whether mice devoid of PrPC can propagate prions and are susceptible to scrapie pathogenesis.

1,688 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
19 Mar 1993-Science
TL;DR: Mutant mice offer the possibility for the further elucidation of IFN-gamma-mediated functions by transgenic cell- or tissue-specific reconstitution of a functional receptor.
Abstract: Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) exerts pleiotropic effects, including antiviral activity, stimulation of macrophages and natural killer cells, and increased expression of major histocompatibility complex antigens. Mice without the IFN-gamma receptor had no overt anomalies, and their immune system appeared to develop normally. However, mutant mice had a defective natural resistance, they had increased susceptibility to infection by Listeria monocytogenes and vaccinia virus despite normal cytotoxic and T helper cell responses. Immunoglobulin isotype analysis revealed that IFN-gamma is necessary for a normal antigen-specific immunoglobulin G2a response. These mutant mice offer the possibility for the further elucidation of IFN-gamma-mediated functions by transgenic cell- or tissue-specific reconstitution of a functional receptor.

1,583 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
09 Sep 1988-Cell
TL;DR: It is shown here that the IRF-1 gene possesses virus-inducible promoter and is also involved in the regulation of other genes such as IFN-alpha and MHC class I genes.

941 citations