Publication Details

AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS

SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH

immunology and microbiology

Interferon-γ and interleukin 22 act synergistically for the induction of interferon-stimulated genes and control of rotavirus infection

Nature Immunology, Volume 16, No. 7, Year 2015

The epithelium is the main entry point for many viruses, but the processes that protect barrier surfaces against viral infections are incompletely understood. Here we identified interleukin 22 (IL-22) produced by innate lymphoid cell group 3 (ILC3) as an amplifier of signaling via interferon (IFN), a synergism needed to curtail the replication of rotavirus, the leading cause of childhood gastroenteritis. Cooperation between the receptor for IL-22 and the receptor for IFN, both of which were preferentially expressed by intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), was required for optimal activation of the transcription factor STAT1 and expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). These data suggested that epithelial cells are protected against viral replication by co-option of two evolutionarily related cytokine networks. These data may inform the design of novel immunotherapy for viral infections that are sensitive to interferons.

Statistics
Citations: 206
Authors: 14
Affiliations: 13
Identifiers
Doi: 10.1038/ni.3180
ISSN: 15292908
e-ISSN: 15292916
Research Areas
Cancer
Maternal And Child Health