Int J Biol Macromol 2021 Jan 15;167:719-725. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.11.217.

Molecular and functional characterization of interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) in amphibian Xenopus tropicalis.

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Interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) is an important regulator in controlling the transcription of type I interferon genes, and its functions have been well-characterized in mammals, birds and fish. However, little information is available regarding the function of amphibian IRF1. In this study, an IRF1 gene homolog named as Xt-IRF1 was identified in the Western clawed frog (Xenopus tropicalis), an amphibian model specie widely used for comparative immunology research. Xt-IRF1 and IRF1 in other vertebrates possess similar genomic structure and flanking genes, and were grouped together to form a separate clade in phylogenetic tree. In addition, Xt-IRF1 gene was constitutively expressed in all tissues examined, with the highest expression level observed in spleen, and was inducible after poly(I:C) stimulation. Importantly, the expression of Xt-IRF1 was markedly induced by recombinant type I interferon, and Xt-IRF1 induced a strong activation of both IFNβ and ISRE promoters. The present study opens the door to investigate the roles of IRF1 in amphibians, and thus contributes to a better understanding of the functional evolution of IRFs in lower tetrapods.

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Species referenced: Xenopus tropicalis
Genes referenced: irf1 irf10 irf2 irf3 irf4 irf5 irf6 irf7 irf8 irf9