Involvement of the IRF family transcription factor IRF-3 in virus-induced activation of the IFN-beta gene.
The virus-induced activation of interferon alpha/beta (IFN-alpha/beta) gene transcription is essential for host defense. The IFN-beta promoter is controlled primarily by the virus-inducible enhancer elements, the IRF-Es. Here we show that IRF-3, an IRF family transcription factor, translocates to the nucleus from the cytoplasm upon virus infection in NIH/3T3 cells. The nuclear IRF-3 is phosphorylated, interacts with the co-activators CBP/p300, and binds specifically to the IFN-beta IRF-E. Furthermore, overexpression of IRF-3 causes a marked increase in virus-induced IFN-beta mRNA expression. Thus, IRF-3 is a candidate transcription factor mediating the activation of the IFN-beta gene.
Sato
M
M
Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Tanaka
N
N
Hata
N
N
Oda
E
E
Taniguchi
T
T
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D050881:E1A-Associated p300 Protein; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D050838:Interferon Regulatory Factor-3; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050838:Interferon Regulatory Factor-3; C494233:Irf3 protein, mouse; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016899:Interferon-beta; D050881:E1A-Associated p300 Protein; C494361:Ep300 protein, mouse