Cutting edge: IL-26 signals through a novel receptor complex composed of IL-20 receptor 1 and IL-10 receptor 2.

The receptor for IL-26 (AK155), a cytokine of the IL-10 family, has not previously been defined. We demonstrate that the active receptor complex for IL-26 is a heterodimer composed of two receptor proteins: IL-20R1 and IL-10R2. Signaling through the IL-26R results in activation of STAT1 and STAT3 which can be blocked by neutralizing Abs against IL-20R1 or IL-10R2.

IFN-lambdas mediate antiviral protection through a distinct class II cytokine receptor complex.

We report here the identification of a ligand-receptor system that, upon engagement, leads to the establishment of an antiviral state. Three closely positioned genes on human chromosome 19 encode distinct but paralogous proteins, which we designate interferon-lambda1 (IFN-lambda1), IFN-lambda2 and IFN-lambda3 (tentatively designated as IL-29, IL-28A and IL-28B, respectively, by HUGO). The expression of IFN-lambda mRNAs was inducible by viral infection in several cell lines.

[Study of conditions for cleaving bovine leukemia virus RNA in vitro using ribozymes directed against long terminal repeats].

Ribozyme has been constructed by the oligonucleotide synthesis technique that is capable of splitting bovine leukemia virus (BLV) RNA-substrate in the R-region (358th nucleotide). Ribozyme has been shown to efficiently split the RNA containing R-region of the virus. The efficiency of ribozyme function depends on conditions of the reaction reaching its maximum at 25 degrees C and pH 7.

[Use of a method of molecular nucleic acid hybridization for the rapid diagnosis of influenza].

A highly sensitive method of pinpoint hybridization of nucleic acids on nitrocellulose filters using 32P-labeled pHA plasmid carrying a DNA copy of hemagglutinin gene of influenza A/Udorn/307/72 (H3N2) was developed which permitted specific detection of minimal amounts of RNA (units of pikograms) of influenza A virus with H3 serotype hemagglutinin. The method of pinpoint hybridization was used for the detection of RNA of influenza A (H3 serotype) in nasopharyngeal washings of patients with acute respiratory diseases during the influenza outbreak of February-March, 1984. In parallel, the presence of viral antigen was determined by direct immunofluorescence using H3N2 antiserum, and the diagnosis of influenza was confirmed by the clinical picture of the disease.