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Related Concept Videos

Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis01:30

Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis

Protein synthesis is indispensable for viral replication, as viruses lack the cellular machinery required for this process and must hijack the host's translational apparatus. In response, host cells deploy a critical innate immune defense involving interferons, specialized cytokines that play a central role in inhibiting viral propagation.Upon viral detection, infected cells release interferons that bind to receptors on adjacent uninfected cells, activating the JAK-STAT signaling pathway and...
Immune Response Against Viral Pathogens01:29

Immune Response Against Viral Pathogens

The immune system's response to viral infections is a complex and coordinated process involving natural killer (NK) cells, T cell-mediated responses, and antibody-mediated responses.
NK Cells
NK cells are a crucial part of our innate immune system, acting as the first line of defense against viral infections. These cells can recognize and kill infected cells without prior exposure to the virus, effectively slowing down the spread of infection. Additionally, NK cells produce proinflammatory...
siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs02:30

siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs

Small interfering RNAs, or siRNAs, are short regulatory RNA molecules that can silence genes post-transcriptionally, as well as the transcriptional level in some cases. siRNAs are important for protecting cells against viral infections and silencing transposable genetic elements.
In the cytoplasm, siRNA is processed from a double-stranded RNA, which comes from either endogenous DNA transcription or exogenous sources like a virus. This double-stranded RNA is then cleaved by the ATP-dependent...
Inhibitors Of Virion Release01:25

Inhibitors Of Virion Release

Viral replication and dissemination rely on efficient mechanisms for host cell entry, genome replication, assembly, and release. Influenza viruses, such as types A and B, are negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses with a segmented genome, that depend on two critical surface glycoproteins to carry out these processes: hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). HA initiates infection by binding to sialic acid residues on the surface of host epithelial cells, facilitating receptor-mediated...
Inhibitors of Virion Maturation and Assembly01:19

Inhibitors of Virion Maturation and Assembly

As part of their replication cycle, certain viruses synthesize long precursor proteins called polyproteins within infected host cells. In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), two major polyproteins are produced: Gag and Gag-Pol. The Gag polyprotein supplies the structural components of the virus, while Gag-Pol includes essential viral enzymes such as reverse transcriptase, integrase, and protease. After synthesis, these polyproteins move to the host cell membrane, where they assemble into an...
Antimicrobial Proteins01:23

Antimicrobial Proteins

Antimicrobial proteins are important components of the immune system. They aid the body in combating pathogens by either killing them directly or hindering their replication processes. Four main types of antimicrobial substances are interferons, the complement system, iron-binding proteins, and antimicrobial proteins.
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Interferons (IFNs) are proteins produced by lymphocytes, macrophages, and fibroblasts infected with viruses. While IFNs cannot prevent viruses from entering and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 15, 2026

High-throughput Quantitative Real-time RT-PCR Assay for Determining Expression Profiles of Types I and III Interferon Subtypes
10:00

High-throughput Quantitative Real-time RT-PCR Assay for Determining Expression Profiles of Types I and III Interferon Subtypes

Published on: March 24, 2015

Systemic interferon-alpha regulates interferon-stimulated genes in the central nervous system.

J Wang1, I L Campbell, H Zhang

  • 1Department of Pharmacology, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA. wangjp@umkc.edu

Molecular Psychiatry
|May 9, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Systemic interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) directly impacts the brain via a STAT1-dependent pathway, activating IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). This finding offers insight into IFN-alpha-associated neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.

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Development and Validation of an Ultrasensitive Single Molecule Array Digital Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay for Human Interferon-α
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Published on: June 14, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 15, 2026

High-throughput Quantitative Real-time RT-PCR Assay for Determining Expression Profiles of Types I and III Interferon Subtypes
10:00

High-throughput Quantitative Real-time RT-PCR Assay for Determining Expression Profiles of Types I and III Interferon Subtypes

Published on: March 24, 2015

Development and Validation of an Ultrasensitive Single Molecule Array Digital Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay for Human Interferon-α
08:26

Development and Validation of an Ultrasensitive Single Molecule Array Digital Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay for Human Interferon-α

Published on: June 14, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Immunology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha), a key antiviral cytokine, has known beneficial roles but is also linked to central nervous system (CNS) disorders.
  • Systemic IFN-alpha administration in humans can lead to severe neuropsychiatric side effects like depression, anxiety, and cognitive deficits.
  • The direct mechanism by which systemic IFN-alpha exerts its effects on the brain remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether systemic interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) directly acts on the brain.
  • To identify genes directly regulated by IFN-alpha signaling within the CNS.
  • To elucidate the molecular pathways mediating IFN-alpha's CNS effects.

Main Methods:

  • Administration of mouse IFN-alpha and human IFN-alpha to mice.
  • Analysis of gene expression, focusing on IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) in brain tissue.
  • Utilized dual labeling in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry to localize gene expression.
  • Examined the response in STAT1 knockout mice.

Main Results:

  • Intraperitoneal administration of mouse IFN-alpha, but not human IFN-alpha, activated key ISGs (STAT1, ISG15, USP18, GBP3) in the brain.
  • The temporal expression profile of these ISGs in the brain mirrored that in peripheral organs.
  • STAT1 transcripts were widely distributed in brain parenchyma, particularly in neurons.
  • The CNS response to IFN-alpha was abolished in STAT1 knockout mice.

Conclusions:

  • Systemic interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) exerts direct, STAT1-dependent effects on the central nervous system (CNS).
  • This STAT1-mediated pathway in the brain may underlie the neurological and neuropsychiatric complications observed with IFN-alpha therapy.
  • Mouse IFN-alpha activates specific ISGs in the brain, suggesting a conserved mechanism.