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Interferon-stimulated genes: new platforms and computational approaches

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Abstract

Interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) are the effectors of interferon (IFN) actions and play major roles in innate immune defense against microbial infection. During virus infection, ISGs impart antiviral actions to control virus replication and spread but can also contribute to disease pathology if their expression is unchecked. Antiviral ISGs have been identified by a variety of biochemical, genetic, and virologic methods. New computational approaches are expanding and redefining ISGs as responders to a variety of stimuli beyond IFNs, including virus infection, stress, and other events that induce cytokines. These studies reveal that the expression of ISG subsets link to interferon regulatory factors (IRF)s, NF-kB, and other transcription factors that impart gene expression in specific cell types independently of IFNs, including stem cells and other cell types where ISGs are constitutively expressed. Here, we provide a broad overview of ISGs, define virus-induced genes (VSG)s, and discuss the application of computational approaches and bioinformatics platforms to evaluate the functional role of ISGs in epigenetics, immune programming, and vaccine responses.

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Acknowledgements

Supported by National Institutes of Health Grants U19AI100625, R01AI104002, and U19AI083019. The funders had no role in the design, data acquisition, analysis, or preparation of the manuscript. Thanks to Amy Green for proof reading. Thanks to Adrianna Forero for her support and critical insights.

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  1. Department of Immunology and the Center for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease (CIIID), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Richard Green, Reneé C. Ireton & Michael Gale Jr.

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  1. Richard Green
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Correspondence to Richard Green.

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Green, R., Ireton, R.C. & Gale, M. Interferon-stimulated genes: new platforms and computational approaches. Mamm Genome 29, 593–602 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00335-018-9755-6

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