CYTOKINE GENE-REGULATION - REGULATORY CIS-ELEMENTS AND DNA-BINDING FACTORS INVOLVED IN THE INTERFERON SYSTEM

This chapter focuses on the gene regulation of the type I interferon (IFN) system, a well-characterized model of cytokine gene regulation, and recapitulates the complex regulation mechanism of the cytokine system. Cytokines constitute a class of soluble mediators involved in cell-to-cell communication and play a crucial role in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. The expression of cytokines is regulated temporally and spatially at the transcriptional level and their biological effects are transmitted to many target cells. Interferons are a heterogeneous family of multifunctional cytokines that were originally identified as proteins responsible for the induction of cellular resistance to viral infection. IFNs were discovered through the study of viral interference phenomena in which infection with an avirulent virus protects the host from subsequent infection by a virulent virus. Three types of IFNs have been identified in humans, and their genes have been characterized in detail. IFN-α and IFN-β are classified as type I IFNs; IFN-γ is classified as a type II IFN. Studies on the regulation of IFN-β and IFN-inducible genes have led to significant advances in the understanding of the mechanisms of cytokine gene regulation. © 1992 Academic Press, Inc.