Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is a critical cytokine belonging to the type II interferon family. It plays a pivotal role in the immune response, particularly in antiviral, immunoregulatory, and anti-tumor activities. The recombinant form of mouse IFN-γ, tagged with a polyhistidine (His) tag, is widely used in research to study its biological functions and interactions.
The recombinant mouse IFN-γ protein is typically produced in HEK293 cells, a human embryonic kidney cell line, which ensures proper folding and post-translational modifications. The protein consists of 144 amino acids and has a calculated molecular mass of approximately 17 kDa. Due to glycosylation, its apparent molecular mass is around 21 kDa when analyzed by SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions .
The DNA sequence encoding mouse IFN-γ (accession number P01580) is expressed with a polyhistidine tag at the C-terminus. This His tag facilitates the purification of the protein using immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC), which exploits the affinity between histidine residues and metal ions like nickel or cobalt .
Recombinant mouse IFN-γ exhibits significant biological activity. It is measured in antiviral assays using L929 cells infected with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), where the effective dose (ED50) typically ranges from 0.2 to 1 ng/mL. Additionally, its binding ability is assessed through functional ELISA, demonstrating interaction with mouse IFN-γ receptor 1 (IFNGR1) fused with an Fc tag .
IFN-γ is predominantly produced by natural killer (NK) cells, natural killer T (NKT) cells, and effector T cells (CD4+ and CD8+). It is a key player in the innate and adaptive immune responses. IFN-γ activates macrophages, enhances antigen presentation, and promotes the differentiation of T helper 1 (Th1) cells. It also has direct antiviral effects and can inhibit the proliferation of certain tumor cells .
The recombinant mouse IFN-γ protein is extensively used in immunological research to: