Interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 1B (IFIT1B)

Interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 1B (IFIT1B) is a member of the IFIT family of proteins, which are induced by interferons—key cytokines in the innate immune response to viral infection. IFIT1B is predicted and demonstrated in murine models to bind specifically to capped RNA structures (notably cap1-RNA) and inhibit their translation, thus restricting viral replication. It contains tetratricopeptide repeats, which are structural motifs involved in protein-protein interaction. IFIT1B is mostly found in the cytoplasm and is expressed selectively in subsets of lymphoid cells. In mice, IFIT1B forms complexes with other IFIT family members, acting in concert to stabilize expression and enhance translation inhibition as part of the antiviral response. IFIT1B is considered an essential mediator of the interferon-induced antiviral pathway, though in humans its specific activity profile remains less characterized than IFIT1, and roles may differ across species. There are currently no known drugs directly targeting IFIT1B nor validated biomarker or safety concern data specific to this molecule in clinical use.

Other names

Interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 1BIFIT1BIFIT1LbA149I23.6Interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 1-like proteinProtein IFIT1 homolog B