The mucosal expression pattern of interferon-ε in rhesus macaques

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Virology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Type I interferons (IFNs) are critical for immunity against viral infections.
• Interferon-epsilon (IFN-ε), a novel type I IFN, shows protective effects against HSV2 and Chlamydia muridarum.
• The cellular source and tissue distribution of IFN-ε remain largely unknown, particularly in nonhuman primates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the expression pattern and cellular localization of IFN-ε in Indian rhesus macaques.
• To determine if SIV infection alters IFN-ε expression in rectal mucosa.

Main Methods:

• Immunohistochemistry (IHCS) was used to analyze IFN-ε expression.
• Multiple mucosal tissues from uninfected and SIV-infected rhesus macaques were examined.
• The macaque IFN-ε sequence was analyzed for conservation.

Main Results:

• IFN-ε expression was detected in situ in the lung, foreskin, vaginal, cervical, and intestinal mucosae of rhesus macaques.
• IFN-ε expression was exclusively localized to epithelial cells in all examined mucosal tissues.
• Macaque IFN-ε is highly conserved among humans and other nonhuman primates.
• SIV rectal infection did not significantly alter IFN-ε expression in rectal mucosa.

Conclusions:

• IFN-ε is expressed by epithelial cells in diverse mucosal tissues of rhesus macaques.
• The findings suggest IFN-ε plays a role as an initial defense against mucosal pathogen invasion.
• Further research is warranted to explore IFN-ε's protective role in respiratory and gastrointestinal infections.