Type I Interferons in NeuroHIV

Production of type I interferons

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are specialized producers of type I interferons (IFNs) that respond to most viruses. Because of their antiviral activity and regulatory functions in innate and adaptive immunity, type I IFNs are important not only for antiviral resistance but also in other types of infections and in immune pathology. Here we discuss recent data that begin to reveal the unique...

Type I interferons in host defense.

Type I interferons (IFNs) are a family of cytokines specialized to coordinate immunity to viruses and other intracellular infections. In the past several years, many of the receptors and signaling pathways that link pathogen detection to induction of type I IFNs have been identified and characterized. An integrated picture has emerged in which type I IFNs have essential functions in several see...

Differential Effects of the Type I Interferons

Type I Interferons Direct Gammaherpesvirus Host Colonization

Gamma-herpesviruses colonise lymphocytes. Murid Herpesvirus-4 (MuHV-4) infects B cells via epithelial to myeloid to lymphoid transfer. This indirect route entails exposure to host defences, and type I interferons (IFN-I) limit infection while viral evasion promotes it. To understand how IFN-I and its evasion both control infection outcomes, we used Mx1-cre mice to tag floxed viral genomes in IF...

Induction of type I interferons by bacteria.

Type I interferons (IFNs) are secreted cytokines that orchestrate diverse immune responses to infection. Although typically considered to be most important in the response to viruses, type I IFNs are also induced by most, if not all, bacterial pathogens. Although diverse mechanisms have been described, bacterial induction of type I IFNs occurs upon stimulation of two main pathways: (i) Toll-lik...