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- **********************************************
- * Interferon alpha and beta family signature *
- **********************************************
-
- Interferons [1] are proteins which produce antiviral and antiproliferative
- responses in cells. On the basis of their sequence interferons are classified
- into four groups: alpha, alpha-II (or omega), beta, and gamma. Except for
- gamma-interferon, the sequence of all the others are related.
-
- Trophoblast protein-1 (TP-1) [2] is a protein implicated in maternal
- recognition of pregnancy. It directly or indirectly prolongs the lifespan of
- the corpus luteum and prevents a return to ovarian cyclicity. It may also be
- implicated in immunoprotection of the conceptus. TP-1 is closely related to
- alpha-II interferons.
-
- A disulfide bond is one of the best conserved structural features of the
- proteins belonging to this family. It is found in all alpha, alpha-II, and
- beta interferons (with the exception of mouse beta-interferon), and probably
- also in TP-1. The signature pattern for this family of proteins includes one
- of the cysteines involved in this disulfide bond.
-
- -Consensus pattern: [FY](2)-x-[GNR]-[LIVM]-x(2)-[FY]-L-x(7)-[CY]-A-W
- -Sequences known to belong to this class detected by the pattern: ALL.
- -Other sequence(s) detected in SWISS-PROT: NONE.
-
- -Note: except for mouse interferon-beta, all proteins from this family have a
- cysteine in position 10 of the pattern.
-
- -Expert(s) to contact by email: Rubinstein M.
- lvrub@wiccmail.weizmann.ac.il
-
- -Last update: June 1994 / Pattern and text revised.
-
- [ 1] Interferons and other regulated cytokines.
- (In) de Maeyer E., de Maeyer-Guignard J., Eds., Wiley and Sons,
- New-York, (1988).
- [ 2] Imakawa K., Hansen T.R., Malathy P.-V., Antony R.V., Polites H.G.,
- Marotti K.R., Roberts R.M.
- Mol. Endocrinol. 3:127-139(1989).
-