Intracellular interferons in fish: a unique means to combat viral infection.

We demonstrate for the first time in vertebrates, that alternative splicing of interferon (IFN) genes can lead to a functional intracellular IFN (iIFN). Fish IFN genes possess introns and in rainbow trout three alternatively spliced transcripts of the IFN1 gene exist. Two of the encoded IFNs are pre...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ming-Xian Chang, Jun Zou, Pin Nie, Bei Huang, Zhanglong Yu, Bertrand Collet, Chris J Secombes
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013-01-01
Series:PLoS Pathogens
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3828176?pdf=render
Description
Summary:We demonstrate for the first time in vertebrates, that alternative splicing of interferon (IFN) genes can lead to a functional intracellular IFN (iIFN). Fish IFN genes possess introns and in rainbow trout three alternatively spliced transcripts of the IFN1 gene exist. Two of the encoded IFNs are predicted to lack a signal peptide. When overexpressed these iIFNs induce antiviral responses. Variants of the two IFNR receptor chains (IFNAR1 and IFNAR2) lacking a signal peptide are also present in trout. Transfection of HEK 293T cells with the iIFN and iIFNR molecules results in STAT phosphorylation and induction of antiviral genes. These results show that fish possess a functioning iIFN system that may act as a novel defence to combat viral infection.
ISSN:1553-7366
1553-7374