Interferon Alpha Inducible Protein 6 (IFI6)

IFI6 was first identified as one of the many genes induced by interferon. The encoded protein may play a critical role in the regulation of apoptosis. A minisatellite that consists of 26 repeats of a 12 nucleotide repeating element resembling the mammalian splice donor consensus sequence begins near the end of the second exon. Alternatively spliced transcript variants that encode different isoforms by using the two downstream repeat units as splice donor sites have been described. The antiapoptotic activity of IFN-alpha-2b was associated with increased expression of G1P3. Ectopically expressed G1P3 localized to mitochondria and antagonized TRAIL-mediated mitochondrial potential loss, cytochrome c release, and apoptosis. Conversely, RNA interference-mediated downregulation of G1P3 restored IFN-alpha-2b-induced apoptosis.