Interferon-related Developmental Regulator 1 Research Articles

Molecular features, antiviral activity, and immunological expression assessment of interferon-related developmental regulator 1 (IFRD1) in red-spotted grouper (Epinephelus akaara)

Interferon-related developmental regulator 1 (IFRD1) is a viral responsive gene associated with interferon-gamma. Herein, we identified the IFRD1 gene (EaIFRD1) from red-spotted grouper (Epinephelus akaara), evaluated its transcriptional responses, and investigated its functional features using various biological assays. EaIFRD1 encodes a protein comprising 428 amino acids with a molecular mass of 48.22 kDa. It features a substantial domain belonging to the interferon-related developmental regulator superfamily. Spatial mRNA expression of EaIFRD1 demonstrated the highest expression levels in the brain and the lowest in the skin. Furthermore, EaIFRD1 mRNA expression in grouper tissues exhibited significant modulation in response to immune stimulants, including poly (I:C), LPS, and nervous necrosis virus (NNV) infection. We analyzed downstream gene regulation by examining type Ⅰ interferon pathway genes following EaIFRD1 overexpression. The results demonstrated a significant upregulation in cells overexpressing EaIFRD1 compared to the control after infection with viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV). A subcellular localization assay confirmed the nuclear location of the EaIFRD1 protein, consistent with its role as a transcriptional coactivator. Cells overexpressing EaIFRD1 exhibited increased migratory activity, enhancing wound-healing capabilities compared to the control. Additionally, under H2O2 exposure, EaIFRD1 overexpression protected cells against oxidative stress. Overexpression of EaIFRD1 also reduced poly (I:C)-mediated NO production in RAW267.4 macrophage cells. In FHM cells, EaIFRD1 overexpression significantly reduced VHSV virion replication. Collectively, these findings suggest that EaIFRD1 plays a crucial role in the antiviral immune response and immunological regulation in E. akaara.

IFRD1 promotes tumor cells “low-cost” survival under glutamine starvation via inhibiting histone H1.0 nucleophagy

Glutamine addiction represents a metabolic vulnerability of cancer cells; however, effective therapeutic targeting of the pathways involved remains to be realized. Here, we disclose the critical role of interferon-related developmental regulator 1 (IFRD1) in the adaptive survival of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells during glutamine starvation. IFRD1 is induced under glutamine starvation to inhibit autophagy by promoting the proteasomal degradation of the key autophagy regulator ATG14 in a TRIM21-dependent manner. Conversely, targeting IFRD1 in the glutamine-deprived state increases autophagy flux, triggering cancer cell exhaustive death. This effect largely results from the nucleophilic degradation of histone H1.0 and the ensuing unchecked increases in ribosome and protein biosynthesis associated with globally enhanced chromatin accessibility. Intriguingly, IFRD1 depletion in preclinical HCC models synergizes with the treatment of the glutaminase-1 selective inhibitor CB-839 to potentiate the effect of limiting glutamine. Together, our findings reveal how IFRD1 supports the adaptive survival of cancer cells under glutamine starvation, further highlighting the potential of IFRD1 as a therapeutic target in anti-cancer applications.

Screening of Genes Related to Growth, Development and Meat Quality of Sahan Crossbred F1 Sheep Based on RNA-Seq Technology.

This study aimed to identify genes related to sheep growth, development and meat quality. Small-tailed Han sheep (STH), and small-tailed Han sheep and Suffolk crossbred F1 (STH×SFK), were selected to determine the growth performance, slaughter performance, and meat quality. The longissimus dorsi muscle was selected for transcriptome sequencing, and the target gene was screened based on bioinformatics analysis; real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) and western blotting (WB) were conducted to verify the target gene. Locations of genes in tissues were confirmed via immunofluorescence. The results showed that the pre-slaughter live weight, bust circumference, slaughter performance, and marbling score of the STH×SFK population were significantly higher than those of the STH population (P < 0.01). Sequencing results showed that 560 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the STH×SFK population, of which 377 exhibited up-regulated and 183 exhibited down-regulated expression levels. GO annotation revealed that DEGs could be classified into 13 cell components, 10 molecular functions, and 22 biological processes. The KEGG enrichment analysis showed that DEGs were mainly enriched in the Rap1 signaling pathway, Ras signaling pathway, and other pathways related to growth and meat quality. Based on the GO and KEGG analyses, four candidate genes related to sheep growth and meat quality, namely myostain (MSTN), interferon-related developmental regulator 1 (IFRD1), peroxisome proliferator activator receptor delta (PPARD), and myosin light chain 2 (MLC2 or MYL2), were screened. The expression levels of genes and proteins were verified via RT-PCR and WB, and the results were consistent with the trend of transcriptome sequencing. Immunofluorescence results showed that IFRD1 was expressed in the cytoplasm and nucleus, and MYL2 was expressed in the cytoplasm. This study revealed the mechanism of gene regulation of sheep growth and development at the molecular level and provided a theoretical basis for studying sheep genetics and breeding.

IFRD1 regulates the asthmatic responses of airway via NF-κB pathway

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease which is susceptible to children and causes great harm to them. Recently, Interferon-related developmental regulator 1 (IFRD1) was proved to be participant in regulating lung diseases, and its abnormal expression was shown in pathological airway tissues. Our study aimed to demonstrate the role and modulatory mechanism of IFRD1 in the pathogenesis of asthma. First, we evaluated the expression of IFRD1 in the lungs of asthmatic patients. C57BL/6 mice and human bronchial epithelioid (HBE) cells were respectively induced by ovalbumin (OVA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to construct asthma models in vivo and in vitro. Using adenovirus and pcDNA vectors, we carried out overexpression assays on mice and cell models. Additionally, the potential mechanism of IFRD1 on regulating asthma process was elucidated by targeting NF-κB pathway. The results showed that IFRD1 was significantly down-regulated in asthma lung tissues, as well as the in vivo and in vitro models of asthma. Besides, OVA induced the inflammation responses and hyperreactivity of airway in mice, and LPS also caused inflammatory cytokine secretion and apoptosis of HBE cells, while cell viability was inhibited. However, IFRD1 overexpression dramatically reversed the effects of OVA and LPS. We subsequently discovered that the NF-κB pathway was activated in asthmatic cells, and NF-κB signaling activation was involved in IFRD1 regulated asthma responses of HBE cells. In conclusion, our study indicated that IFRD1 inhibited the asthmatic responses of airway via the NF-κB pathway inactivation. The evidence presented herein might provide a novel sight for asthma therapy.

MicroRNA-200c Attenuates Periodontitis by Modulating Proinflammatory and Osteoclastogenic Mediators.

This study tested whether microRNA (miR)-200c can attenuate the inflammation and alveolar bone resorption in periodontitis by using an in vitro and a rat model. Polyethylenimine (PEI) was used to facilitate the transfection of plasmid DNA encoding miR-200c into primary human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) and gingival tissues of rats. We first analyzed how proinflammatory and osteoclastogenic mediators in HGFs with overexpression of miR-200c responded to Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS-PG) challenge in vitro. We observed that overexpression of miR-200c significantly reduced interleukin (IL)-6 and 8 and repressed interferon-related developmental regulator-1 (IFRD1) in HGFs. miR-200c also downregulated p65 and p50. In a rat model of periodontitis induced by an LPS injection at the gingival sulcus of the second maxillary molar (M2), we analyzed how the mediators in rat gingiva and alveolar bone resorption responded to miR-200c treatment by a local injection of PEI-plasmid miR-200 nanoplexes. We observed that the local injection of miR-200c significantly upregulated miR-200c expression in gingiva and reduced IL-6, IL-8, IFRD1, and the ratio of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand/osteoprotegerin. Using micro-computed tomography analysis and histomorphometry, we further confirmed that local treatment with miR-200c effectively protected alveolar bone resorption in the rat model of periodontitis by reducing the distance between the cemento-enamel junction and the alveolar bone crest and the inter-radicular space in the upper maxilla at M2. These findings imply that miR-200c may serve as a unique means to prevent periodontitis and associated bone loss.

Increased IFRD1 Expression in Human Colon Cancers Predicts Reduced Patient Survival.

Colon cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. CRC develops through combinations of genetic and epigenetic changes. However, there is marked heterogeneity in the "driver gene" mutational profiles within and among colon cancers from individual patients, and these are not sufficient to explain differences in colon cancer behavior and treatment response. Global modulation of the tumor landscape may play a role in cancer behavior. Interferon-related developmental regulator 1 (IFRD1) is a transcriptional co-regulator that modulates expression of large gene cassettes and plays a role in gut epithelial proliferation following massive intestinal resection. We address the hypothesis that increased IFRD1 expression in colon cancers is associated with poorer patient survival. Tumor and normal tissue from colon cancer patient cohorts from the USA, Spain, and China were used for this study. Cancers were scored for the intensity of IFRD1 immunostaining. The primary clinical outcome was overall survival defined as time from diagnosis to death due to cancer. Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank analysis were used to assess the association between IFRD1 expression and survival. Almost all (98.7%) colon cancers showed readily detectable IFRD1 expression, with immunoreactivity primarily in the tumor cytoplasm. High IFRD1 colon cancer expression was significantly associated with decreased 5-year patient survival. Patients in the American cohort with high IFRD1 expression had a poorer prognosis. We have demonstrated that high IFRD1 protein expression in colon cancer is associated with poorer patient prognosis, suggesting a potential role for IFRD1 in modulating tumor behavior.

Expression and regulation of the differentiation regulators ERBB Receptor Feedback Inhibitor 1 (ERRFI1) and Interferon-related Developmental Regulator 1 (IFRD1) during the periovulatory period in the rat ovary.

The current study investigated the regulation and the spatiotemporal expression pattern of Errfi1 and Ifrd1, genex encoding factors that regulate differentiation and cessation of cell division, in the rat ovary during the periovulatory period. Immature female rats (22-23 days old) were injected with pregnant-mare serum gonadotropin to stimulate folliculogenesis, followed by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) to induce ovulation. Ovaries, granulosa cells, theca-interstitial cells, or cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were collected at various times after hCG administration (n = 3 per time point). Expression analysis revealed that Errfi1 and Ifrd1 were highly induced in the ovary, although their spatiotemporal expression differed: In situ hybridization analysis demonstrated that Errfi1 mRNA expression was initially induced in theca-interstitial cells at 4 and 8 hr after hCG, then transitioned to granulosa cells at 12 hr, and decreased in newly forming corpora lutea at 24 hr. Ifrd1 mRNA, on the other hand, was primarily induced in granulosa cells, and expression remained elevated in newly forming corpora lutea. Interestingly, Errfi1 and Ifrd1 were also expressed in the COC, suggesting a potential role in cumulus cell expansion or oocyte maturation. Inhibition of progesterone or prostaglandin synthesis reduced Errfi1 and Ifrd1 transcription, whereas inhibition of epidermal growth factor signaling inhibited only Errfi1 mRNA abundance. Down-regulation of both genes led to further suppression of progesterone. Our findings thus suggest that the stimulation of Errfi1 and Ifrd1 may be important for theca and granulosa cell differentiation and COC expansion. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 83: 714-723, 2016 © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

IFRD1 gene polymorphisms are associated with nasal polyposis in cystic fibrosis patients

Nasal polyposis (NP) is an inflammatory disease of the upper nasal airways frequently present in CF patients. Interferon-Related Developmental Regulator 1 (IFRD1) gene was reported as a possible modifier of CF lung disease severity. Three IFRD1 SNPs were analyzed to investigate a possible effect on the development of NP in CF patients. The DNA of 143 patients with CF (40 with and 103 without NP) was purified from peripheral blood samples. IFRD1 SNPs (rs7817, rs3807213, rs6968084) were genotyped by restriction enzyme analysis. The T allele of the common polymorphisms rs7817 and the rs7817-rs3807213 haplotype were associated with NP (p = 0.002 and 0.004, respectively). These results showed the association of the IFRD1-rs7817 polymorphism with NP in CF patients.

IFRD1 gene polymorphisms are associated with nasal polyposis in cystic fibrosis patients.

Nasal polyposis (NP) is an inflammatory disease of the upper nasal airways frequently present in CF patients. Interferon-Related Developmental Regulator 1 (IFRD1) gene was reported as a possible modifier of CF lung disease severity. Three IFRD1 SNPs were analyzed to investigate a possible effect on the development of NP in CF patients. The DNA of 143 patients with CF (40 with and 103 without NP) was purified from peripheral blood samples. IFRD1 SNPs (rs7817, rs3807213, rs6968084) were genotyped by restriction enzyme analysis. The T allele of the common polymorphisms rs7817 and the rs7817-rs3807213 haplotype were associated with NP (p = 0.002 and 0.004, respectively). These results showed the association of the IFRD1-rs7817 polymorphism with NP in CF patients.

The interferon-related developmental regulator 1 is used by human papillomavirus to suppress NFκB activation.

High-risk human papillomaviruses (hrHPVs) infect keratinocytes and successfully evade host immunity despite the fact that keratinocytes are well equipped to respond to innate and adaptive immune signals. Using non-infected and freshly established or persistent hrHPV-infected keratinocytes we show that hrHPV impairs the acetylation of NFκB/RelA K310 in keratinocytes. As a consequence, keratinocytes display a decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine production and immune cell attraction in response to stimuli of the innate or adaptive immune pathways. HPV accomplishes this by augmenting the expression of interferon-related developmental regulator 1 (IFRD1) in an EGFR-dependent manner. Restoration of NFκB/RelA acetylation by IFRD1 shRNA, cetuximab treatment or the HDAC1/3 inhibitor entinostat increases basal and induced cytokine expression. Similar observations are made in IFRD1-overexpressing HPV-induced cancer cells. Thus, our study reveals an EGFR–IFRD1-mediated viral immune evasion mechanism, which can also be exploited by cancer cells.

The IFRD1 (57460C>T Polymorphism) Gene: A Negative Report in Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Severity

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by more than 1,900 mutations in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene. In CF, one intriguing aspect is that patients, with same CFTR mutation, can have high clinical variability. Thus, the CFTR genotype does not seem to be the only determining factor in the clinical severity modulation. Therefore, the modifier genes and the environment must be considered. The IFRD1 (Interferon-related developmental regulator 1) gene, acts on the immune system and in the recruitment of immune cells, and consequently could be a modulator. In our data we included 88 CF patients, diagnosed by CFTR mutation screening and positive sweat test. The 57460C>T polymorphism screening in the IFRD1 gene was made by polymerase chain reaction associated to enzymatic digestion. A genotypic comparison was performed with 23 CF clinical variables. The data was analyzed by the SPSS program considering α=0.05. The patients were analyzed considering the CFTR genotype characteristic by mutation class. In our data 64.77% of patients had mutations of classes I, II or III in the CFTR gene. The IFRD1 polymorphism frequency was 28 (12.99%), 35 (75.32%) and 25 (11.69%) to the CC, CT and TT genotypes, respectively. In our study, the 57460C>T polymorphism in the IFRD1 gene was not associated with the CF clinical variables. The analysis was performed with and without consideration of the CFTR genotype, and after correction for multiple testing (Bonferroni test), no positive association was observed in both cases. Taking into account our results, in the CF patients population analyzed, there were no associations of the 57460C>T polymorphism in the IFRD1 gene with the CF clinical variables.

Refractory Thrombocytopenia, an Unusual Myelodysplastic Syndrome with an Initial Presentation Mimicking Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Refractory thrombocytopenia (RTC) is an unusual subtype of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) that initially presents as chronic pure thrombocytopenia. Because of the lack of distinguishable dysplasia, RTC has often been misdiagnosed as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. We describe the case of a patient with RTC and trisomy 8 for whom a bone marrow mononuclear cell (BMNC) gene expression profile was obtained by means of a complementary DNA microarray analysis. Compared with the healthy control subject, the RTC patient differentially expressed 105 genes, of which 88 were down-regulated and 17 were up-regulated. The expression pattern of 16 genes, including those for RNA helicase-related protein (RNAHP), heat shock 105kD (HSP105B), interferon-related developmental regulator 1 (IFRD1), cyclin C (CCNC), and DNA-damage-inducible transcript 3 (DDIT3), which are usually seen in BMNCs from typical MDS patients, was observed in this case. However, this RTC patient exhibited an expression pattern distinct from that of other MDS patients. We suggest that RTC be classified as a subtype of MDS on the basis of its characteristic clinical-hematologic features and specific molecular basis.

Cloning of the Human Interferon-Related Developmental Regulator (IFRD1) Gene Coding for the PC4 Protein, a Member of a Novel Family of Developmentally Regulated Genes

The rat PC4 gene had been initially isolated as a nerve growth factor-inducible sequence in PC12 cells. Although its function remains unknown, recently it has been shown that PC4 is necessary to muscle differentiation and that it might have a role in signal transduction. We report the isolation of the human homolog of the rat PC4 gene, renamed here IFRD1 (interferon-related developmental regulator 1). Several human IFRD1 clones were identified by searching the EST database using the rat IFRD1 (PC4) cDNA as a query. An EST clone containing the entire ORF was chosen for sequencing. Human IFRD1 presented a predicted protein product of 453 amino acids, highly conserved (90.2% identity) compared to the rat IFRD1 (PC4) protein sequences. The mapping assignment of human IFRD1 to chromosome 7q22–q31 was retrieved from the UniGene database maintained at NCBI. A comparison of human IFRD1 (PC4) protein to databases revealed 47% identity to the protein encoded by the human gene SKMc15, originally isolated from a chromosome 3-specific library. Therefore, SKMc15 is a gene related to IFRD1, being the second member of a novel family. We analyzed their expression during murine development, and we found that mouse IFRD1 appears more expressed in specific differentiating structures at midgestation, while mouse SKMc15 is highly expressed soon after gastrulation and in the hepatic primordium, suggesting an involvement in early hematopoiesis.