title: The role of interferon regulatory factors in the cardiac response to viral infection.
abstract: Reovirus-induced murine myocarditis provides an excellent model for the human disease. Cardiac tissue damage varies between reovirus strains, and is caused by a direct viral cytopathogenic effect. One determinant of virus-induced cardiac tissue damage is the cardiac interferon-beta (IFN-beta) response to viral infection. Nonmyocarditic reoviruses induce more IFN-beta and/or are more sensitive to the antiviral effects of IFN-beta in cardiac cells than myocarditis reoviruses. The roles of interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) in the cardiac response to viral infection are reviewed, and results suggest possible cardiac-specific variations in IRF-3 and IRF-1 function. In addition, data are presented indicating that the role of IRF-2 in regulation of IFN-beta expression is cell type-specific and differs between skeletal and cardiac muscle cells. Together, results suggest that the heart may provide a unique environment for IRF function, critical for protection against virus-induced cardiac damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Pathology and Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27606, USA. Barbarasherry@ncsu.edu
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sherry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D050856:Interferon Regulatory Factor-1; D050836:Interferon Regulatory Factor-2; D050838:Interferon Regulatory Factor-3; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000276:immunology*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000502:physiology*; D012088:Reoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050856:Interferon Regulatory Factor-1; D050836:Interferon Regulatory Factor-2; D050838:Interferon Regulatory Factor-3; C494258:Irf1 protein, mouse; C494230:Irf2 protein, mouse; C494233:Irf3 protein, mouse; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016899:Interferon-beta