. "Reviewed: Gay, NJ, 2006-04-24 16:48:17"^^ . "Authored: Luo, F, 2005-11-10 11:23:18"^^ . "Two members of the interferon regulatory factor (IRF) family IRF-3 and IRF-7 are the major modulators of IFN gene expression. Activation of IRF-3 and IRF-7, which is mediated by TBK1/IKK protein kinases, promotes IFN gene expression and the production of IFN developing an effective antiviral immune response.

Irf-3 deficient mice were found to be more vulnerable to virus infection. Mouse cells defective in IRF-3 and IRF-7 expression totally fail to induce IFN genes in response to viral infection. It was shown on mice and mouse cells that both IRF-3 and IRF-7 have non redundant and distinct roles. IRF-3 is expressed at a basal level in normally growing cells and is a major factor in the early induction phase of IFN-alpha/beta production, while the IRF-7 gene expression is induced upon IFNs stimulation and IRF-7 is involved in the late induction phase.
"^^ . "Edited: Shamovsky, V, 2009-12-16"^^ . . . . . . . "Viral dsRNA:TLR3:TRIF:TBK1/IKK epsilon complex recruits IRF3/IRF7"^^ . . . . .