IFITM-Family Proteins: The Cell's First Line of Antiviral Defense.

ABSTRACT: Animal cells use a wide variety of mechanisms to slow or prevent replication of viruses. These mechanisms are usually mediated by antiviral proteins whose expression and activities can be constitutive but are frequently amplified by interferon induction. Among these interferon-stimulated proteins, members of the IFITM (interferon-induced transmembrane) family are unique because they prevent infection before a virus can traverse the lipid bilayer of the cell. At least three human IFITM proteins-IFITM1, IFITM2, and IFITM3-have antiviral activities. These activities limit infection in cultured cells by many viruses, including dengue virus, Ebola virus, influenza A virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, and West Nile virus. Murine Ifitm3 controls influenza A virus infection in v

SUBMITTER: Bailey CC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4295558 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature