Recent Progress in the Elucidation of Interferon-Gamma Actions: Molecular Biology and Biological Functions

摘要

It has been known for a long time that the two major classes of interferons, IFN-α/β and IFN-γ, are similar in many of their actions despite the fact that they are structurally unrelated and bind to separate receptors. Recent studies revealed overlapping, common components in IFN-α/β and IFN-γ signaling. The second chain of the IFN-γ receptor was recently identified. The generation of mice with targeted disruptions of the genes for IFN-γ or the IFN-γ receptor is helping to understand the essential functions of IFN-γ in host defenses. Other studies have shown that the transcription factor IRF-1 is essential for the IFN-γ-mediated activation of the gene for the inducible nitric oxid