Also known as type II interferons, IFN-γ is a glycoprotein of 146 amino acids. IFN-γ is a cytokine critical for the innate and adaptive immunity. It is produced predominantly by natural killer (NK) and natural killer T (NKT) cells as part of the innate immune response and by T helper cells and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) as part of the adaptive immunity. IFN-γ has antiviral, immunoregulatory, and anti-tumor properties.
IFN-γ:
- Promotes the NK cell activity
- Increases the antigen presentation by action on the lysosome activity of macrophages
- Promotes Th1 differentiation, and suppresses Th2differentiation which would cause a humoral (antibody) response
- Modulates the production of IgG2a and IgG3 from activated plasma B cells
- Increases expression of class I MHC molecules as well as class II MHC on antigen-presenting cells
- Promotes adhesion and binding required for leukocyte migration
IFN-γ interacts with other cytokines, either in a synergistic (e.g., TNF) or antagonistic (e.g., IL-4) fashion. [Bertin Catalog No. A05413]
