The Roles of Type I Interferon in Bacterial Infection

Gayle M Boxx; Genhong Cheng

doi:10.1016/j.chom.2016.05.016

The Roles of Type I Interferon in Bacterial Infection

Cell Host Microbe. 2016 Jun 8;19(6):760-9. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2016.05.016.

Authors

Gayle M Boxx¹, Genhong Cheng²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
² Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. Electronic address: gcheng@mednet.ucla.edu.

Abstract

Type I interferons (IFNs) are pleiotropic cytokines well recognized for their role in the induction of a potent antiviral gene program essential for host defense against viruses. They also modulate innate and adaptive immune responses. However, the role of type I IFNs in host defense against bacterial infections is enigmatic. Depending on the bacterium, they exert seemingly opposite and capricious functions. In this review, we summarize the effect of type I IFNs on specific bacterial infections and highlight the effector mechanisms regulated by type I IFNs in an attempt to elucidate new avenues to understanding their role.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Adaptive Immunity
Animals
Anti-Inflammatory Agents / immunology
Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology
Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / immunology
Bacterial Infections / immunology*
Cytokines / immunology
Humans
Immunity, Innate
Interferon Type I / immunology*
Interferon Type I / pharmacology
Interferon-gamma / immunology
Signal Transduction / immunology

Substances

Anti-Inflammatory Agents
Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
Cytokines
Interferon Type I
Interferon-gamma

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding