Is There Life Without Interferon

摘要: I have chosen as my title “Is there life without interferon?” for two reasons. First, the evidence suggests that interferons (IFN) appeared very early in evolutionary time, and so one can reasonably suppose they a fundamental role multicellular organisms. Figure 1 is adapted from 1985 paper by Weissmann colleagues [1], shows primitive IFN-α IFN-β genes had already separated many million years ago (MYA). Roberts [2] suggest best estimate time of this approximately 235 MYA. So primordial IFN-α/β gene older, possibly much older. Indeed speculate it may evolved at when loose association single cells led to first organisms, served prevent nucleic acid cell pre-empting functions another.