Interferon response pathways--a paradigm for cytokine signalling?
Considerable progress has been made in the past few years elucidating the molecular mechanisms of cytokine signalling. The interferons (IFNs) have provided a singular system allowing the detailed characterization of a specific cytokine signalling pathway. Studies on the IFN signal transduction pathway have identified protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) that phosphorylate signal transducers (STATs) which then bind to DNA promoter sequences and activate gene transcription. Related work has shown that JAKs and STATs are also activated in response to a variety of the cytokines. Thus the novel type of signal transduction pathway identified for the IFNs promises to be more widely utilized than anticipated.
Müller
M
M
Institut für Tierzucht und Genetik, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria.
Ibelgaufts
H
H
Kerr
I M
IM
D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053613:Janus Kinase 1; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D050795:STAT2 Transcription Factor; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050795:STAT2 Transcription Factor; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D007372:Interferons; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C507904:JAK1 protein, human; D053613:Janus Kinase 1