oIFN tau Recombinant Protein

Source : Escherichia Coli. Interferon-Tau Ovine Recombinant produced in E.Coli is a single, non-glycosylated, polypeptide chain containing 172 amino acids and having a molecular mass of 19914.7 Dalton.The IFNau is purified by proprietary chromatographic techniques. IFNau is also known as TP-1 (trophoblast protein-1) is a new class of type I IFN that is secreted by the trophoblast and is the signal for maternal recognition of pregnancy in sheep. IFNtau has potent immunosuppressive and antiviral activities similar to other type I IFN but is less cytotoxic than IFNlpha and IFNeta. The current investigation concerns the effect of recombinant ovine IFNtau (rOIFNtau) on the modulation of MHC class I and II expression on cloned mouse cerebrovascular endothelial (CVE) cells. IFNau induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Stat1 and upregulated the expression of MHC class I on CVE. One proposed action by which type I IFN reduces the relapse rate in MS is via interference with IFN-induced MHC class II expression. IFNtau was shown to downregulate IFN-induced MHC class II expression on CVE and, hence, may be of potential therapeutic value in downregulating inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). IFNtau did not upregulate the expression of MHC class II on CVE. IFNtau also inhibited the replication of Theiler's virus in CVE.