| Type: | Conserved_site | Name: | Interferon regulatory factor, conserved site |
| Description: | The expression of type I interferon genes (interferons alpha and beta) is induced by many agents, including viral attack []. Induction is mediated by the binding of interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF-1) to a region known as the interferon consensus sequence (ICS), located upstream of the interferon genes []. Other factors may also bind to the ICS, including IRF-2, which does not function as an activator, but rather suppresses the function of IRF-1 under certain circumstances []. IRF proteins contain a conserved N-terminal DNA-binding region of about 120 amino acids, which folds into a structure that binds specifically to the ICS; the remaining parts of the sequences vary depending on the precise function of the protein []. This region contains five conserved tryptophans and is known as a 'tryptophan pentad repeat'. The signature of this entry spans the region from the second to the fourth of the five conserved tryptophans. | Short Name: | Interferon_reg_fac_CS |
