Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 15, 2025

Measurement of BK-polyomavirus Non-Coding Control Region Driven Transcriptional Activity Via Flow Cytometry
Published on: July 13, 2019
IFNα and β Mediated JCPyV Suppression through C/EBPβ-LIP Isoform
Dana May1, Anna Bellizzi1, Workineh Kassa2
1Department of Neuroscience, Center for Neurovirology-Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, 3500 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA.
Interferon-alpha (IFNα) and interferon-beta (IFNβ) suppress JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) replication by increasing liver inhibitory protein (LIP), an isoform of C/EBPβ. This mechanism may control JCPyV latency and reactivation in PML.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) causes progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a severe demyelinating disease.
- JCPyV reactivation under immunosuppression is linked to glial cell infection and viral gene expression.
- Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) stimulates JCPyV transcription, but regulatory mechanisms remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of interferon-alpha (IFNα) and interferon-beta (IFNβ) in regulating JCPyV transcription and replication.
- To elucidate the mechanism by which interferons exert their regulatory effects on JCPyV.
- To determine the involvement of C/EBPβ-LIP in interferon-mediated JCPyV suppression.
Main Methods:
- Treatment of glial cell lines with IFNα or IFNβ.
- Analysis of JCPyV transcriptional regulation and viral replication.
- Assessment of C/EBPβ-LIP expression levels.
- Knockdown of C/EBPβ-LIP using short hairpin RNA (shRNA).
Main Results:
- IFNα and IFNβ were found to negatively regulate JCPyV transcriptional regulation.
- Interferons induce the expression of liver inhibitory protein (LIP), an isoform of C/EBPβ, in glial cells.
- The inhibitory effect of interferons on JCPyV transcription and replication is enhanced by C/EBPβ-LIP.
- Knockdown of C/EBPβ-LIP reversed the inhibitory effects of interferons on JCPyV replication.
Conclusions:
- IFNα and IFNβ negatively regulate JCPyV through the induction of C/EBPβ-LIP.
- C/EBPβ-LIP plays a critical role in mediating the antiviral effects of interferons against JCPyV.
- This interferon-C/EBPβ-LIP pathway may be a key factor in controlling the balance between JCPyV latency and reactivation.
Related Concept Videos
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The...
Eukaryotic Transcription Inhibitors
Eukaryotic transcription inhibitors usually contain two distinct domains, a...
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
Immune Response Against Viral Pathogens
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...
B Cell Activation and Differentiation
When naive B cells encounter a specific antigen that can bind to the B cell receptor (BCR) on their surface, they undergo sensitization to respond to the antigen's presence. Sensitization begins with...
Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting

