Is sequence conservation in interferons due to selection for functional proteins?

The human alpha-interferon (IFN-alpha) gene family consists of at least 14 potentially functional non-allelic members; the amino acid sequences they encode differ from each other by up to approximately 20% of their residues. Human IFN-beta, which is encoded by a single gene, is distantly related to the IFN-alpha family; it differs in 67% of its residues from IFN-alpha 2. There is considerable evidence that IFN-alpha and -beta compete for the same receptors on their target cells. Comparison of 14 non-allelic human IFN-alpha sequences and the IFN-beta sequence has revealed that 37 of 166 residues are completely conserved and that several of these are arranged in clusters, for example at positions 29-33, 47-50 and 136-150. It is commonly held that evolutionary conservation of amino acids indicates that the residues in question are essential for function. To test this hypothesis in the case of IFNs, we have introduced single site-directed point mutations into the strictly conserved codons 48 and 49 of the IFN-alpha 2 gene which form part of the longest uninterrupted cluster (position 47-50). We report here that the mutant proteins, containing Tyr, Ser and Cys instead of Phe48, or His instead of Gln49, have biological activities indistinguishable from those of wild-type IFN-alpha. In addition, when Glu62, a residue conserved in all known alpha and beta IFNs of man, mouse and cattle, was replaced by Lys, antiviral activity remained unchanged.     

IkappaB kinase-alpha is critical for interferon-alpha production induced by Toll-like receptors 7 and 9

The Toll-like receptor (TLR) family has important roles in microbial recognition and dendritic cell activation. TLRs 7 and 9 can recognize nucleic acids and trigger signalling cascades that activate plasmacytoid dendritic cells to produce interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) (refs 7, 8). TLR7/9-mediated dendritic cell activation is critical for antiviral immunity but also contributes to the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus, a disease in which serum IFN-alpha levels are elevated owing to plasmacytoid dendritic cell activation. TLR7/9-induced IFN-alpha induction depends on a molecular complex that contains a TLR adaptor, MyD88, and IFN regulatory factor 7 (IRF-7) (refs 10-14), but the underlying molecular mechanisms are as yet unknown. Here we show that IkappaB kinase-alpha (IKK-alpha) is critically involved in TLR7/9-induced IFN-alpha production. TLR7/9-induced IFN-alpha production was severely impaired in IKK-alpha-deficient plasmacytoid dendritic cells, whereas inflammatory cytokine induction was decreased but still occurred. Kinase-deficient IKK-alpha inhibited the ability of MyD88 to activate the Ifna promoter in synergy with IRF-7. Furthermore, IKK-alpha associated with and phosphorylated IRF-7. Our results identify a role for IKK-alpha in TLR7/9 signalling, and highlight IKK-alpha as a potential target for manipulating TLR-induced IFN-alpha production.     

A unique set of polypeptides is induced by gamma interferon in addition to those induced in common with alpha and beta interferons

Human immune interferon (IFN-gamma) differs from leukocyte interferon (IFN-alpha) and fibroblast interferon (IFN-beta) in cell origin, inducing agents, physical and biological properties and amino acid sequence. These differences have led to interest in possible differences in the biological properties of IFN-gamma compared with IFN-alpha and IFN-beta. IFN-gamma has the same broad range of biochemical and biological actions as do IFN-alpha and IFN-beta, although relative potencies vary depending on the cell type and function investigated. There has so far been no direct evidence that IFN-gamma alters normal cell functions differently from other interferons. We report here striking qualitative and quantitative differences in the intracellular response of human fibroblasts to IFN-gamma compared with IFN-alpha and IFN-beta. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis demonstrates, in addition to the induction of a common group of polypeptides, the existence of a set of polypeptides whose synthesis is uniquely induced by IFN-gamma.     

Different antiviral spectra of human macrophage interferon activities

The antiviral activity of alpha-interferon (IFN-alpha) produced by human leukocytes in response to viral infection has been considered to be independent of the virus which induced its production. Recently, however, IFN-alpha has been found to include at least eight different subtypes, as indicated by measurement of antigenic variability, DNA hybridization and amino acid sequencing. We considered the possibility that interferon heterogeneity may play a part in enhancing host antiviral defence and now present data suggesting that purified human macrophages, when exposed to different viruses, produce interferons having differing spectra of antiviral activity. These findings may provide a functional correlation for IFN-alpha heterogeneity.     

CD69 acts downstream of interferon-alpha/beta to inhibit S1P1 and lymphocyte egress from lymphoid organs

Naive lymphocytes continually enter and exit lymphoid organs in a recirculation process that is essential for immune surveillance. During immune responses, the egress process can be shut down transiently. When this occurs locally it increases lymphocyte numbers in the responding lymphoid organ; when it occurs systemically it can lead to immunosuppression as a result of the depletion of recirculating lymphocytes. Several mediators of the innate immune system are known to cause shutdown, including interferon alpha/beta (IFN-alpha/beta) and tumour necrosis factor, but the mechanism has been unclear. Here we show that treatment with the IFN-alpha/beta inducer polyinosine polycytidylic acid (hereafter 'poly(I:C)') inhibited egress by a mechanism that was partly lymphocyte-intrinsic. The transmembrane C-type lectin CD69 was rapidly induced and CD69-/- cells were poorly retained in lymphoid tissues after treatment with poly(I:C) or infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. Lymphocyte egress requires sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor-1 (S1P1), and IFN-alpha/beta was found to inhibit lymphocyte responsiveness to S1P. By contrast, CD69-/- cells retained S1P1 function after exposure to IFN-alpha/beta. In coexpression experiments, CD69 inhibited S1P1 chemotactic function and led to downmodulation of S1P1. In a reporter assay, S1P1 crosslinking led to co-crosslinking and activation of a CD69-CD3zeta chimaera. CD69 co-immunoprecipitated with S1P1 but not the related receptor, S1P3. These observations indicate that CD69 forms a complex with and negatively regulates S1P1 and that it functions downstream of IFN-alpha/beta, and possibly other activating stimuli, to promote lymphocyte retention in lymphoid organs.     

Mechanism of action of interferon and ribavirin in treatment of hepatitis C

Since the identification of the hepatitis C virus, great strides have been made in the development of an antiviral therapy. As a crucial mediator of the innate antiviral immune response, interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) was a natural choice for treatment. Whereas treatment with IFN-alpha alone achieved only modest success, the addition of the broad-spectrum antiviral agent ribavirin greatly improved responses. However, half of the infected individuals with chronic disease do not achieve sustained clearance of hepatitis C virus. To optimize current therapeutic strategies and to develop new therapies, a better understanding of the mechanism of action of IFN and ribavirin will be essential.     

Structure of the human immune interferon gene

Sequence determination of cloned cDNAs and genes of the three classes of interferon (IFN-alpha, -beta and -gamma) has revealed more than a dozen members of the human IFN-alpha gene family and a single gene for IFN-beta. These genes are found on chromosome 9 and contain no introns. We recently reported that the 146-amino acid sequence of mature IFN-gamma deduced from the nucleotide sequence of a cloned cDNA was quite unrelated to those of the other IFNs, and that the gene for IFN-gamma contains at least one intron. We now describe the isolation, characterization and DNA sequence of the human IFN-gamma gene. It contains three introns, a repetitive DNA element, and is not highly polymorphic. All our evidence to date and the present data suggest that this is the only gene for IFN-gamma and that the resolution of IFN-gamma into two components is probably the result of post-translational processing of the protein.     

The structure of one of the eight or more distinct chromosomal genes for human interferon-alpha

The 12 interferon (IFN)-related sequences detected in a human gene bank fall into not less than eight distinct classes, indicating that there are at least eight IFN-related genes. Most, if not all, of these direct the synthesis of an IFN in Escherichia coli. The sequence of one chromosomal gene and its flanking regions was identical to that deduced for the cDNA corresponding to IFN-alpha l mRNA. No evidence was found for the existence of an intron, in either the coding or the non-coding segments of the gene.     

CUEDC1抑制TNFalpha激活的AP-1的转录活性

为了研究CUEDC1蛋白质是否参与了AP—1信号通路,首先在真核细胞中成功表达了Flag—CUEDC1蛋白质,通过双荧光报告系统,研究了CUEDC1对AP—1信号通路的影响。结果显示,过表达CUEDC1能够显著抑制TNFα激活的AP—1转录活性,而对IFNα激活STAT3的转录活性没有影响,并且CUEDC1抑制AP—1转录活性影响是发生在TRAF2分子或者上游水平。     

Production of human alpha-interferon in silkworm using a baculovirus vector

Microorganisms are generally used for mass production of foreign gene products, but multicellular organisms such as plants have been proposed as an economical alternative. The silkworm may be useful in this context as it can be cultured easily and at low cost. We have therefore developed a virus vector to introduce foreign genes, for example, the gene for human alpha-interferon (IFN-alpha), into silkworms. We used the baculovirus Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) which has a large (greater than 100 kilobases, kb) double-stranded circular DNA genome within its rod-shaped capsid. Baculoviruses have been used previously as vectors for expression of beta-interferon and beta-galactosidase in established cell lines. Although BmNPV has not been used previously as an expression vector, it has an advantage over the baculovirus Autographa californica NPV in that it has a narrower host range and will not grow in wild insect pests in the field. In the present study, the polyhedrin gene encoding the major inclusion body protein of BmNPV was identified by hybridization with complementary DNA and cloned in a plasmid. For insertion of foreign genes, we constructed a recombinant plasmid carrying a polylinker linked to the promoter of the polyhedrin gene, and inserted the IFN-alpha gene into this plasmid. The resulting plasmid and the BmNPV genomic DNA were co-transfected into BM-N cells, and stable recombinant viruses isolated by plaque assay on BM-N cells. The recombinant virus replicated in silkworm larvae, which synthesized as much as 5 X 10(7) units (approximately 50 micrograms) of interferon in their haemolymph.     

Production of immune interferon by murine T-cell clones from long-term cultures

Production of leukocyte interferon (IFN-alpha) and fibroblast interferon (IFN-beta) can be induced by a variety of agents but immune interferon, IFN-gamma, is only obtained when lymphoid cells are stimulated by specific antigens, allo-antigens or T-cell mitogens. Moreover, in bulk cultures, only small quantities of IFN-gamma are produced. The type of cell producing IFN-gamma has not been unambiguously defined and so we set out to determine whether a pure T-cell population could produce it, exploiting the knowledge that T cells can be maintained indefinitely in tissue culture by the addition of T-cell growth factors. Although not all T cells can found long-term cultures of this kind, cultures of antigen-specific helper, suppressor and killer T cells have been obtained in this way. We now describe the production of substantial amounts of INF-gamma when some (but not all) murine T-cell clones derived from such cultures are stimulated by either concanavalin A (Con A) or phytohaemagglutinin (PHA).     

Preferential effect of gamma interferon on the synthesis of HLA antigens and their mRNAs in human cells

Interferons produce a variety of biological effects on cells. They induce resistance to virus proliferation, inhibit cell growth, modify cell structure and differentiation, stimulate some immune functions and inhibit others. However, the different interferon (IFN) species may vary in their mechanism of action and, hence, in their relative efficiency for inducing each of the effect. IFN-gamma (type II) appears to show stronger immunoregulatory and growth inhibitory effects than antiviral effects, but this conclusion has been challenged in other reports. The aim of the present work is to compare the action of IFN-gamma and other (type I) interferons on the induction of (2'-5') oligo(A) synthetase which is probably part of the antiviral response and the induction of the histocompatibility HLA-A,-B,-C antigens. We have shown previously that the induction of both proteins is regulated by interferons at the mRNA level, but show here that IFN-gamma from stimulated human lymphocytes and from monkey cells transfected by cloned human IFN-gamma cDNA induced the HLA-A,-B,-C and beta 2-microglobulin mRNAs or proteins at concentrations over 100 times lower than those needed to induce the (2'-5')oligo(A) synthetase and the antiviral state. This difference was not found with IFN-alpha and -beta (type I).