title: Interferon-zeta/limitin: novel type I interferon that displays a narrow range of biological activity.
abstract: Interferon zeta (IFN-zeta)/limitin has been regarded as a novel type I IFN by the Nomenclature Committee of the International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research. IFN-zeta/limitin, which has some sequence homology with IFN-alpha and IFN-beta, has a globular structure with 5 alpha helices and 4 loops and recognizes IFN-alpha/beta receptor. Although it displays antiviral, immunomodulatory, and antitumor effects, IFN-zeta/limitin has much less lymphomyelosuppressive activity than IFN-alpha. Unique interactions between IFN-zeta/limitin and the receptor probably led to the narrow range of signals and biological activities. A human homologue of IFN-zeta/limitin may be clinically more effective than IFN-alpha and IFN-beta because it has fewer adverse effects. Moreover, further analysis of the structure-function relationship may establish an engineered cytokine with the useful features of IFN-zeta/limitin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan. oritani@bldon.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oritani
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tomiyama
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; C410906:limitin