Roberts R M, Cross J C, Leaman D W
Department of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211.
Pharmacol Ther. 1991;51(3):329-45. doi: 10.1016/0163-7258(91)90064-s.
The trophoblast interferons (IFN) are Type I IFN with about 50% amino acid sequence identity to the leukocyte IFN (IFN-alpha). They are the major secretory products of the trophoblast of ruminant ungulate species during pregnancy in the period immediately preceding attachment and implantation when they have been implicated in the phenomenon known as maternal recognition of pregnancy. The trophoblast IFN have antiviral and antiproliferative activities typical of other Type I IFN, but unlike IFN-alpha, -beta and -omega are poorly responsive to viral induction and have a highly restricted pattern of expression. Nevertheless, a recombinant bovine IFN-alpha can mimic many of the properties of the trophoblast IFN and has been used pharmacologically to improve pregnancy success in sheep. It still remains unclear, however, whether the trophoblast IFN have unique biological properties or whether they are unusual merely by virtue of the location, magnitude and temporal nature of their expression at a critical time during pregnancy.
滋养层干扰素（IFN）属于I型干扰素，与白细胞干扰素（IFN-α）的氨基酸序列约有50%的同源性。它们是反刍有蹄类动物在怀孕期临近着床和植入前滋养层的主要分泌产物，此时它们与所谓的母体妊娠识别现象有关。滋养层干扰素具有其他I型干扰素典型的抗病毒和抗增殖活性，但与IFN-α、-β和-ω不同的是，它们对病毒诱导反应较弱，且表达模式高度受限。然而，重组牛IFN-α可以模拟滋养层干扰素的许多特性，并已在药理学上用于提高绵羊的妊娠成功率。然而，目前仍不清楚滋养层干扰素是否具有独特的生物学特性，或者它们仅仅是由于在孕期关键时期表达的位置、强度和时间特性而显得不同寻常。
