Type I interferons during host–fungus interactions: Is antifungal immunity going viral?
Marina Pekmezović, Axel Dietschmann, Mark S. Gresnigt
Abstract
Pleaseconfirmthatallheadinglevelsarerepresentedcorrectly: I interferons (IFN-I): Beyond the viral control Type I interferons (IFN-I) are crucial in antiviral host defense. However, increasing evidence suggests that IFN-I also play important roles during infections with nonviral pathogens. IFN-I, a family of multiple cytokines that all activate the IFN-/ receptor (IFNAR), induce expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) via JAK-STAT1/2 signaling (Fig 1A). ISG-encoded proteins are involved in different processes, many going beyond antiviral defense. In contrast to their well-understood role during viral infections, IFN-I exert both beneficial and detrimental effects to the host. IFN-I orchestrate host defense through antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties, but also instigate tissue damage and strong proinflammatory responses [1]. While this contrasting role is incompletely understood, a growing number of studies implicated IFN-I responses during fungal infections caused by Candida species and Aspergillus fumigatus (Fig 1B).