IFN-alpha 2/IFNA2 Protein, Rhesus Macaque (HEK293, Fc)

IFN-alpha 2 (IFNA2), belongs to type I interferon family, is a protein secreted by cells infected by a virus and acting on other cells to inhibit viral infection^[1]. IFN-alpha 2 exerts cytotoxic activity against CD8⁺ T cells and induces CD4⁺ T cell depletion^[3]. IFN-alpha 2/IFNA2 Protein, Rhesus Macaque (HEK293, Fc) is produced in HEK293 cells with a C-terminal mFc-tag.

IFN-alpha 2 (IFNA2; IFN-α2), belongs to the type I interferon family, produced by the plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) exposure to HIV-1BaL in order to inhibit viral infection^[1].
Interferon (IFN) is originally identified as a substance ‘interfering’ with viral replication in vitro. IFN-α/β and related molecules are classified as type I IFNs, as for the other two types of type II IFN (IFN-γ) and type III IFNs (IFN-λ), respectively^[2].
IFN-alpha 2 subtype is the only one that is currently licensed to treat infections caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HCV^[3].
IFN-alpha 2 shows a Sortilin-dependent trafficking in cells and increases the expression level of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) in HIV-infected cells^[1][4]. It also exhibits cytotoxic activity against CD8⁺ T cells and enhances CD4⁺ T cell depletion^[3].
Among the IFN-alpha 2 alleles, IFN-alpha 2b is being the predominant allele while IFNα-2a is less predominant and IFNα-2c only a minor allelic variant^[5].
IFN-alpha 2 has a bored application in research of cancer, including some hematological malignancies and solid tumors^[6].

IFN-alpha 2 increases expression level during acute SIV infection with protective as well as worsening effects, when the thymus becomes dysfunctional and contributes to pathology in the thymus of rhesus macaques after infection^[3].

Rhesus Macaque

HEK293

C-mFc

B6CK11/NP_001129266.1 (C24-E188)

709948  [NCBI]

Approximately 45.9 kDa

Greater than 95% as determined by reducing SDS-PAGE

<1 EU/μg, determined by LAL method.

• [1]. Abraham S, et al. Gene therapy with plasmids encoding IFN-β or IFN-α14 confers long-term resistance to HIV-1 in humanized mice. Oncotarget. 2016 Nov 29;7(48):78412-78420.  [Content Brief]

  [2]. Zhang SY, et al. Inborn errors of interferon (IFN)-mediated immunity in humans: insights into the respective roles of IFN-alpha/beta, IFN-gamma, and IFN-lambda in host defense. Immunol Rev. 2008 Dec;226:29-40.  [Content Brief]

  [3]. Sutter K, et al. Interferon α subtypes in HIV infection. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev. 2018 Apr;40:13-18.  [Content Brief]

  [4]. Watanabe H, et al. Detailed structure of mouse interferon α2 and its interaction with Sortilin. J Biochem. 2021 Oct 11;170(2):265-273.  [Content Brief]

  [5]. Gull I, et al. Heterologous expression, immunochemical and computational analysis of recombinant human interferon alpha 2b. Springerplus. 2013 Jun 15;2(1):264.  [Content Brief]

  [6]. Paul F, et al. IFNA2: The prototypic human alpha interferon. Gene. 2015 Aug 10;567(2):132-7.  [Content Brief]