IFN-omega
IFN-omega (interferon omega-1, encoded by the IFNW1 gene) is a secreted type I interferon with antiviral activity. It signals through the interferon alpha/beta receptor and belongs to the interferon gene group recognised by HGNC. Browse Assay Genie's current range of IFN-omega research reagents below, or read on for the biology behind the target.
IFN-omega is an interferon that possesses antiviral activity. It is a secreted protein, so it acts outside the cell in which it is made, and it is classed in UniProt as a member of the type I (or alpha/beta) interferon family. Researchers working on innate antiviral responses and on the biology of the type I interferon family study IFN-omega alongside the other members of that group.
The receptor selectivity of IFN-omega is one of its defining features. According to the NCBI Gene summary, the encoded protein binds to the interferon alpha/beta receptor but not to the interferon gamma receptor. This places IFN-omega within the alpha/beta receptor signalling axis shared by type I interferons and separates it from interferon gamma signalling. Any IFN-omega protein or IFN-omega antibody experiment should take this receptor relationship into account when selecting controls and comparators.
The IFN-omega gene, officially named interferon omega 1 (symbol IFNW1), is listed by HGNC in the Interferons gene group. It is an intronless gene, and several pseudogenes are spread throughout the genome. That pseudogene content is worth remembering when designing nucleic acid based assays, because related sequences elsewhere in the genome may complicate interpretation. The mature protein is produced from a single uninterrupted coding region, and the product is released from the cell as a secreted factor. Researchers measuring IFN-omega with an IFN-omega ELISA kit are therefore typically looking at the extracellular, secreted pool of the protein, in line with its annotated subcellular location.
IFN-omega is an interferon with antiviral activity, making it relevant to studies of how cells and tissues respond to viral challenge.
As a type I interferon that binds the interferon alpha/beta receptor, IFN-omega is a useful member of the family for comparing receptor-mediated signalling.
IFN-omega binds the interferon alpha/beta receptor but not the interferon gamma receptor, which supports work on how interferon types discriminate between receptors.
IFNW1 is an intronless gene with several pseudogenes dispersed through the genome, an arrangement of interest in studies of interferon gene family organisation.
IFN-omega is an interferon with antiviral activity. It is secreted and binds the interferon alpha/beta receptor, but not the interferon gamma receptor. UniProt places it in the type I (alpha/beta) interferon family, so it is studied in the context of type I interferon signalling.
The HGNC gene symbol is IFNW1 and the approved gene name is interferon omega 1. UniProt names the protein interferon omega-1. No alternative aliases or previous symbols are recorded in the supplied data, so IFN-omega, IFNW1 and interferon omega-1 cover the usual terms.
The supplied data do not identify mouse or rat orthologs of IFNW1, so conservation cannot be stated here. What is known is that the human gene is intronless and has several pseudogenes across the genome. Check the datasheet of any product for its validated reactivity.
Other interferons and interferon receptor subunits that sit alongside IFN-omega in antiviral and type I interferon research.
Gene and protein annotations from HGNC, NCBI Gene and UniProt P05000; product specifications from Assay Genie datasheets.