IFI6 explained

Interferon alpha-inducible protein 6 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the IFI6 gene.^[1]

This gene was first identified as one of the many genes induced by interferon. The encoded protein may play a critical role in the regulation of apoptosis. A mini-satellite that consists of 26 repeats of a 12 nucleotide repeating element resembling the mammalian splice donor consensus sequence begins near the end of the second exon. Alternatively spliced transcript variants that encode different isoforms by using the two downstream repeat units as splice donor sites have been described.

An antiviral function has been attributed to IFI6 against several members of theFlaviviridae family (DENV, YFV, ZIKV, WNV). IFI6 was able to interfere with the virus replication by preventing the formation of virus-induced membrane structures that represent a replication organelle.^[2]

Further reading

• Itzhaki JE, Barnett MA, MacCarthy AB, Buckle VJ, Brown WR, Porter AC . Targeted breakage of a human chromosome mediated by cloned human telomeric DNA . Nature Genetics . 2 . 4 . 283–287 . December 1992 . 1303280 . 10.1038/ng1292-283 . 38466985 .
• Clauss IM, Wathelet MG, Szpirer J, Content J, Islam MQ, Levan G, Szpirer C, Huez GA . 6 . Chromosomal localization of two human genes inducible by interferons, double-stranded RNA, and viruses . Cytogenetics and Cell Genetics . 53 . 2–3 . 166–168 . 1990 . 1695131 . 10.1159/000132920 .
• Itzhaki JE, Porter AC . Targeted disruption of a human interferon-inducible gene detected by secretion of human growth hormone . Nucleic Acids Research . 19 . 14 . 3835–3842 . July 1991 . 1713665 . 328471 . 10.1093/nar/19.14.3835 .
• Kelly JM, Porter AC, Chernajovsky Y, Gilbert CS, Stark GR, Kerr IM . Characterization of a human gene inducible by alpha- and beta-interferons and its expression in mouse cells . The EMBO Journal . 5 . 7 . 1601–1606 . July 1986 . 3017706 . 1166985 . 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1986.tb04402.x .
• Porter AC, Chernajovsky Y, Dale TC, Gilbert CS, Stark GR, Kerr IM . Interferon response element of the human gene 6-16 . The EMBO Journal . 7 . 1 . 85–92 . January 1988 . 3359997 . 454218 . 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1988.tb02786.x .
• Friedman RL, Manly SP, McMahon M, Kerr IM, Stark GR . Transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of interferon-induced gene expression in human cells . Cell . 38 . 3 . 745–755 . October 1984 . 6548414 . 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90270-8 . 37810920 .
• Turri MG, Cuin KA, Porter AC . Characterisation of a novel minisatellite that provides multiple splice donor sites in an interferon-induced transcript . Nucleic Acids Research . 23 . 11 . 1854–1861 . June 1995 . 7596809 . 306954 . 10.1093/nar/23.11.1854 .
• Hofmann WA, Stojiljkovic L, Fuchsova B, Vargas GM, Mavrommatis E, Philimonenko V, Kysela K, Goodrich JA, Lessard JL, Hope TJ, Hozak P, de Lanerolle P . 6 . Actin is part of pre-initiation complexes and is necessary for transcription by RNA polymerase II . Nature Cell Biology . 6 . 11 . 1094–1101 . November 2004 . 15502823 . 10.1038/ncb1182 . 23909479 .
• Tahara E, Tahara H, Kanno M, Naka K, Takeda Y, Matsuzaki T, Yamazaki R, Ishihara H, Yasui W, Barrett JC, Ide T, Tahara E . 6 . G1P3, an interferon inducible gene 6-16, is expressed in gastric cancers and inhibits mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in gastric cancer cell line TMK-1 cell . Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy . 54 . 8 . 729–740 . August 2005 . 15685448 . 10.1007/s00262-004-0645-2 . 13399785 . 11034321 .

Notes and References

1. Web site: Entrez Gene: IFI6 interferon, alpha-inducible protein 6.
2. Richardson RB, Ohlson MB, Eitson JL, Kumar A, McDougal MB, Boys IN, Mar KB, De La Cruz-Rivera PC, Douglas C, Konopka G, Xing C, Schoggins JW . 6 . A CRISPR screen identifies IFI6 as an ER-resident interferon effector that blocks flavivirus replication . Nature Microbiology . 3 . 11 . 1214–1223 . November 2018 . 30224801 . 6202210 . 10.1038/s41564-018-0244-1 .