title: The yin and yang of type I interferon activity in bacterial infection.
abstract: Interferons (IFNs) are cytokines that are important for immune responses, particularly to intracellular pathogens. They are divided into two structurally and functionally distinct types that interact with different cell-surface receptors. Classically, type I IFNs are potent antiviral immunoregulators, whereas the type II IFN enhances antibacterial immunity. However, as outlined here, type I IFNs are also produced in response to infection with other pathogens, and an increasing body of work shows that type I IFNs have an important role in the host response to bacterial infection. Strikingly, their activity can be either favourable or detrimental, and can influence various immune effector mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University Departments at the Vienna Biocenter, Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. thomas.decker@univie.ac.at
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Decker
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stockinger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I