Oritani K, Kincade P W, Tomiyama Y
Department of Internal Medicine and Molecular Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita City, Japan.
J Mol Med (Berl). 2001 May;79(4):168-74. doi: 10.1007/s001090100206.
Limitin is an interferon (IFN)-like cytokine that we recently identified and cloned on the basis of its ability to arrest the growth or kill lympho-hematopoietic cells. This 182 amino acid protein has approximately 30% sequence identity with IFN-alpha, IFN-beta, and IFN-omega. Limitin binds to the IFN-alpha/beta receptors and induces IFN regulatory factor-1, thereby indicating that limitin constitutes a new prototype of the type I IFN family. As with previously known IFNs, limitin inhibited B lymphopoiesis in vivo as well as in vitro. In addition, limitin not only modified the proliferation and function of peripheral T lymphocytes, natural killer cells, and bone marrow stromal cells but also had antiviral activity. Therefore, limitin is a multifunctional cytokine with several potential cellular targets. Because to date we have found no influence of limitin on normal myeloid and erythroid progenitors, limitin is unique among the IFNs. Type I IFN family contains IFN-alpha, IFN-beta, IFN-omega, and IFN-tau, and IFN-alpha is composed of at least 14 subtypes. All IFNs have anti-proliferative, immunomodulatory, and antiviral effects and influence to each other in the body. Limitin should play a role in the complex IFN network, and its human homologue would be useful as a therapeutic agent if it lacked myelosuppressive activity.
限制素是一种类似干扰素（IFN）的细胞因子，我们最近基于其抑制淋巴造血细胞生长或杀伤淋巴造血细胞的能力对其进行了鉴定和克隆。这种由182个氨基酸组成的蛋白质与IFN-α、IFN-β和IFN-ω具有约30%的序列同一性。限制素与IFN-α/β受体结合并诱导IFN调节因子-1，因此表明限制素构成了I型IFN家族的一个新原型。与先前已知的IFN一样，限制素在体内和体外均抑制B淋巴细胞生成。此外，限制素不仅改变外周T淋巴细胞、自然杀伤细胞和骨髓基质细胞的增殖和功能，还具有抗病毒活性。因此，限制素是一种具有多个潜在细胞靶点的多功能细胞因子。由于迄今为止我们发现限制素对正常髓系和红系祖细胞没有影响，所以限制素在IFN中是独特的。I型IFN家族包括IFN-α、IFN-β、IFN-ω和IFN-τ，且IFN-α由至少14个亚型组成。所有IFN都具有抗增殖、免疫调节和抗病毒作用，并且在体内相互影响。限制素应该在复杂的IFN网络中发挥作用，如果其缺乏骨髓抑制活性，其人类同源物将可用作治疗剂。
