Interferon-stimulated genes: a complex web of host defenses

WM Schneider, MD Chevillotte… - Annual review of …, 2014 - annualreviews.org
Annual review of immunology, 2014annualreviews.org
Interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) products take on a number of diverse roles. Collectively,
they are highly effective at resisting and controlling pathogens. In this review, we begin by
introducing interferon (IFN) and the JAK-STAT signaling pathway to highlight features that
impact ISG production. Next, we describe ways in which ISGs both enhance innate
pathogen-sensing capabilities and negatively regulate signaling through the JAK-STAT
pathway. Several ISGs that directly inhibit virus infection are described with an emphasis on …
Interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) products take on a number of diverse roles. Collectively, they are highly effective at resisting and controlling pathogens. In this review, we begin by introducing interferon (IFN) and the JAK-STAT signaling pathway to highlight features that impact ISG production. Next, we describe ways in which ISGs both enhance innate pathogen-sensing capabilities and negatively regulate signaling through the JAK-STAT pathway. Several ISGs that directly inhibit virus infection are described with an emphasis on those that impact early and late stages of the virus life cycle. Finally, we describe ongoing efforts to identify and characterize antiviral ISGs, and we provide a forward-looking perspective on the ISG landscape.
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