Interferon alpha-B

Interferon alpha-B (IFN-αB, gene symbol IFNA8) is one of the thirteen functional human type I interferon-α subtypes. The mature protein is 165 amino acids long and is secreted as a non-glycosylated monomer by plasmacytoid dendritic cells and virus-stimulated leukocytes. IFN-αB distinguishes itself by an unusually high antiviral potency-to-immunomodulation ratio: comparative studies show it belongs among the subtypes inducing the strongest antiviral states in vitro across encephalomyocarditis virus and vesicular stomatitis virus challenge systems, while its relative binding affinity for IFNAR2 is among the highest of the family, allowing efficient signaling at low concentrations. The IFNA8 gene lies within the interferon cluster on chromosome 9p22 and, like other IFNA genes, lacks introns. IFN-αB is also notable as a preferred subtype in early recombinant interferon research. Differential subtype-specific activity like that of IFN-αB supports the concept that type I interferon family members are not interchangeable, each engaging the receptor with distinct kinetics and gene-expression outcomes.