Autori: Lienenklaus S, Cornitescu M, Zietara N, Lyszkiewicz M, Gekara N, Jablonska J, Edenhofer F, Rajewsky K, Bruder D, Hafner M, Staeheli P, Weiss S

Editorial: Journal of Immunology, 183, p.3229-3236, 2009.

Rezumat:

Type I IFN is a major player in innate and adaptive immune responses. Besides, it is involved in organogenesis and tumor development. Generally, IFN responses are amplified by an autocrine loop with IFN-beta as the priming cytokine. However, due to the lack of sensitive detection systems, where and how type I IFN is produced in vivo is still poorly understood. In this study, we describe a luciferase reporter mouse, which allows tracking of IFN-beta gene induction in vivo. Using this reporter mouse, we reveal strong tissue-specific induction of IFN-beta following infection with influenza or La Crosse virus. Importantly, this reporter mouse also allowed us to visualize that IFN-beta is expressed constitutively in several tissues. As suggested before, low amounts of constitutively produced IFN might maintain immune cells in an activated state ready for a timely response to pathogens. Interestingly, thymic epithelial cells were the major source of IFN-beta under noninflammatory conditions. This relatively high constitutive expression was controlled by the NF Aire and might influence induction of tolerance or T cell development.

Cuvinte cheie: interferon beta, transgenic reporter mouse

URL: http://www.jimmunol.org/cgi/content/full/183/5/3229