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IFN-γ and IFN-γ Receptor Knockout Mice

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Book cover Cytokine Knockouts

Part of the book series: Contemporary Immunology ((CONTIM))

Abstract

Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) was originally characterized as an antiviral compound (1). However, it has a major immunoregulatory role as a key effector cytokine secreted by T-cells during a variety of immune responses. An early review emphasized the pleiotropic and redundant characteristics of T-cell-derived lymphokines (2). Cytokine knockout mice were not yet available to determine the in vivo roles of cytokines. The genetic approach is a powerful method that has been used for decades in lower organisms to determine biologic functions of proteins. The technique of making targeted deletions of genes in mouse embryonic stem cells to produce mutant mice has extended this approach to mammals. Mice with targeted mutations in IFN-γ(IFN-γ knockout) (3) and the IFN-γ receptor (IFNγR knockout) (4) have been studied for nearly a decade. There is only one known receptor for IFN-γ (5).Mice lacking IFN-γand its receptor develop normally and are indistinguishable from wild-type mice—unless they are given an immunologic challenge.

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Authors
  1. Dyana Dalton
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  1. University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO, USA

    Giamila Fantuzzi PhD

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Dalton, D. (2003). IFN-γ and IFN-γ Receptor Knockout Mice. In: Fantuzzi, G. (eds) Cytokine Knockouts. Contemporary Immunology. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-405-4_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-405-4_20

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61737-415-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-405-4

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