The protein kinase PKR is activated by RNA with double-stranded (ds) structure and subsequently impairs translation through phosphorylation of protein synthesis initiation factor eIF-2α. PKR also mediates activation of signal transduction pathways leading to interferon beta (IFN-β) gene induction following virus-infection or RNA transfection. We previously demonstrated in measles virus-infected...

Mice with the type I interferon (IFN) receptor gene knocked out (IFNAR KO mice) or deficient for alpha/beta IFN (IFN-α/β) signaling clear chlamydial infection earlier than control mice and develop less oviduct pathology. Initiation of host IFN-β transcription during an in vitro chlamydial infection requires interferon regulatory transcription factor 3 (IRF3). The goal of the present study was t...

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major health threat to the human population worldwide. The etiology of the disease is Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), a highly successful intracellular pathogen. It has the ability to manipulate the host immune response and to make the intracellular environment suitable for its survival. Many studies have addressed the interactions between the bacteria and the host immu...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: During an immune response, type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling induces a wide range of changes, including those which are required to overcome viral infection and suppress cytotoxic T cells avoid immunopathology. certain bacterial infections, IFN-I exerts largely detrimental effects. Although the family proteins all share one common receptor, biologic responses vary depending o...

IFNγ (interferon γ ), a cytokine typically secreted by infiltrating immune cells in insulitis in Type 1 diabetes, is by itself not detrimental to β-cells, but, together with other cytokines, such as IL-1β (interleukin 1β) and TNFα (tumour necrosis factor α), or dsRNA (double-stranded RNA), it induces β-cell apoptosis. The complex gene and protein networks that are altered by the combination of ...

Defective Rhinovirus induced interferon-β and interferon-λ production has been reported in bronchial epithelial cells from asthmatics but the mechanisms of defective interferon induction in asthma are unknown. Virus infection can induce interferon through Toll like Receptors (TLR)3, TLR7 and TLR8. The role of these TLRs in interferon induction in asthma is unclear. This objective of this study ...

Classical swine fever (CSF) caused by CSF virus (CSFV) is a highly contagious disease of pigs. The viral protein Npro of CSFV interferes with alpha- and beta-interferon (IFN-α/β) induction by promoting the degradation of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3). During the establishment of the live attenuated CSF vaccine strain GPE-, Npro acquired a mutation that abolished its capacity to bind and...