Global characterization of interferon regulatory factor (IRF) genes in vertebrates: glimpse of the diversification in evolution.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Interferon regulatory factors (IRFs), which can be identified based on a unique helix-turn-helix DNA-binding domain (DBD) are a large family of transcription factors involved in host immune response, haemotopoietic differentiation and immunomodulation. Despite the identification of ten IRF family members in mammals, and some recent effort to identify these members in fish, relatively little is known in the composition of these members in other classes of vertebrates, and the evolution and probably the origin of the IRF family have not been investigated in vertebrates.

Results

Genome data mining has been performed to identify any possible IRF family members in human, mouse, dog, chicken, anole lizard, frog, and some teleost fish, mainly zebrafish and stickleback, a

SUBMITTER: Huang B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2885996 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature