Interferon-induced transmembrane protein 2 is a

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...

that in humans is encoded by the IFITM2

gene In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...

. IFITM1 is a member of the IFITM family (Interferon-induced transmembrane protein) which is encoded by IFITM genes. As the name implies, these genes are induced by

interferon Interferons (IFNs, ) are a group of signaling proteins made and released by host cells in response to the presence of several viruses. In a typical scenario, a virus-infected cell will release interferons causing nearby cells to heighten the ...

and form part of its signaling pathway. In the absence of interferon stimulation, IFITM proteins can express broadly in tissues and cell lines. In humans, IFITM1, IFITM2 and IFITM3 are able to express in different tissues and cells while the expression of IFITM5 is limited to osteoblasts.

Antiviral function

IFITM proteins have been identified as antiviral

restriction factor Restriction, restrict or restrictor may refer to: Science and technology * restrict, a keyword in the C programming language used in pointer declarations * Restriction enzyme, a type of enzyme that cleaves genetic material Mathematics and logi ...

s that block the early stages of viral replication. They inhibit influenza A virus replication, and infection with a wide range of other

enveloped viruses A viral envelope is the outermost layer of many types of viruses. It protects the genetic material in their life cycle when traveling between host cells. Not all viruses have envelopes. Numerous human pathogenic viruses in circulation are encase ...

Antiviral function

References

Further reading