Interferon regulatory factor (IRF) 7 in mammals is known to be a key player in regulating the type I interferon (IFN) response to viral infection as a transcription activator of IFNs and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). In this study, a full-length cDNA of Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, (Po)IRF-7 was cloned and characterized. PoIRF-7 is 2032 bp in length, with an open reading frame (ORF...

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a member of the TNF family that participates in HIV-1 pathogenesis through the depletion of CD4+ T cells. TRAIL is expressed on the cell membrane of peripheral immune cells and can be cleaved into a soluble, secreted form. The regulation of TRAIL in macrophages during HIV-1 infection is not completely understood. In this study, we investigated th...

We have identified two novel proteins that interact specifically with the C-terminal repression domain of Interferon Regulatory Factor-2 (IRF-2). These proteins, which we term IRF-2 binding proteins 1 and 2 (IRF-2BP1 and IRF-2BP2, the latter having two splicing isoforms, A and B), are nuclear proteins, and have the properties of IRF-2-dependent transcriptional co-repressors that can inhibit bot...

The recognition of microbial components by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) is an event central to the activation of innate and adaptive immune systems. TLR activation triggers the induction of downstream target genes, wherein the TLR-interacting adaptor molecule MyD88 recruits various signaling molecules and transcription factors. Two members of the IFN regulatory factor (IRF) family of transcriptio...

Viperin is an antiviral protein whose expression is highly upregulated during viral infections via IFN-dependent and/or IFN-independent pathways. We examined the molecular alterations induced by the transcriptional activator IFN regulatory factor (IRF)-1 and found viperin to be among the group of IRF-1 regulated genes. From these data, it was not possible to distinguish genes that are primary t...

-Apoptosis has been reported to play a pivotal role in vascular remodeling. However, cellular mechanisms of apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) have not been well defined. In this study, we focused on interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme (ICE), a key protease in the induction of apoptosis in lymphocytes and fibroblasts. We observed an increase in ICE mRNA expression in rat aortic V...

The transcriptional activator IFN regulatory factor 1 (IRF-1) and its antagonistic represser IRF-2 are regulators of the IFN system. IRF-1 also manifests tumor suppressive activity, and its inactivation could contribute to the development of human hematopoietic malignancies. Here, we report the identification of the lysyl oxidase gene as a target gene of IRF-1. An IRF response element was ident...

BACKGROUND Interferon-induced 35-kDa protein (IFP35) plays important roles in antiviral defense and the progression of some skin cancer diseases. It can be induced by interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in multiple human cells. However, the mechanisms by which IFN-γ contributes to IFP35 induction remain to be elucidated. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We identified the transcription start sites of IFP35 by 5' r...

TLR9 is critical for the recognition of unmethylated CpG DNA in innate immunity. Accumulating evidence suggests distinct patterns of TLR9 expression in various types of cells. However, the molecular mechanism of TLR9 expression has received little attention. In the present study, we demonstrate that transcription of murine TLR9 is induced by IFN-beta in peritoneal macrophages and a murine macro...

Type I IFNs cause the induction of a subset of genes termed IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs), which harbor a specific DNA element, IFN-stimulated response element (ISRE). This ISRE confers the responsiveness to the IFN signal through the binding of a family of transcription factors designated IFN regulatory factors (IRFs). Some IRFs can bind to the DNA alone, such as IRF-1, which elicits transcripti...