Affinage

IRF7

Interferon regulatory factor 7 · UniProt Q92985

Length
503 aa
Mass
54.3 kDa
Annotated
2026-06-10
100 papers in source corpus 29 papers cited in narrative 29 extracted findings
Cross-family judge vs UniProt: Affinage preferred faithfulness: 9/9 claims corpus-supported (100%)

Mechanistic narrative

Synthesis pass · prose summary of the discoveries below

IRF7 is the master transcription factor for type I interferon (IFN-α/β) induction, essential downstream of both virus-activated MyD88-independent signaling in fibroblasts and TLR9/MyD88-dependent signaling in plasmacytoid dendritic cells, where IFN production is entirely IRF7-dependent (PMID:15800576). Its activity is gated by virus-induced C-terminal phosphorylation of Ser-477/Ser-479, which drives nuclear translocation, DNA binding, and transactivation; phosphomimetic substitution generates a constitutively active protein, and IRF7 acts as homodimers or heterodimers with IRF3 (PMID:10893229). Activated IRF7 dimers bind ISRE-type sites in IFN virus-response elements through both affinity-based and allosteric mechanisms (PMID:29361124), and productive IFN induction further requires SIRT1-dependent deacetylation of the DNA-binding domain to license virus-stimulated liquid-liquid phase separation with ISRE DNA (PMID:35879450). Full transcriptional output depends on the cofactor NFATC3, which co-occupies IFN promoters and is required for IRF7 nuclear translocation (PMID:27697837). IRF7 is controlled at every layer: TRAF6-mediated K63-linked ubiquitination (a prerequisite for phosphorylation) and NEURL3-catalyzed K63 ubiquitination at Lys375 (which displaces HDAC1) promote activity (PMID:19479062, PMID:35792897), while PP1-mediated dephosphorylation (PMID:27469204), HSP70 and SAMHD1 competition with IKKε for IRF7 binding (PMID:32169844, PMID:37328105), AIP-mediated blockade of nuclear import (PMID:25911105), CUL3-KLHL22- and proteasome-dependent K48 ubiquitination (PMID:36394357), and cell-type-specific protein instability — short-lived in most cells but stabilized in pDCs — restrain it (PMID:16472772). Upstream, IRF7 abundance is set transcriptionally by FOXO3 repression and SRSF7/STAT1-driven induction, and post-transcriptionally by BUD13-dependent splicing of Irf7 pre-mRNA (PMID:22982991, PMID:38393946, PMID:30639243). Neddylation provides an additional activation signal that favors active homodimers over repressive IRF5 heterodimers (PMID:34506605). Beyond IFN, IRF7 directly transactivates a defined set of target promoters including USP25, IL-33, Hif-1α (driving glycolysis and M1 macrophage polarization), and represses PKM2 and S100A9 (regulating the Warburg effect and myeloid/MDSC differentiation) (PMID:27129230, PMID:24777946, PMID:39985573, PMID:34975316, PMID:28092673), and exerts a non-transcriptional anti-inflammatory function by directly binding NF-κB-p65 to limit inflammatory gene induction (PMID:38508315). IRF7 also mediates autoinflammatory pathology: in ADAR1-deficient cardiomyocytes it drives MDA5-dependent myocarditis triggered by non-edited endogenous RNAs (PMID:36000401).

Mechanistic history

Synthesis pass · year-by-year structured walk · 10 steps
  1. 2000 High

    Defined the molecular logic of IRF7 activation, establishing that C-terminal serine phosphorylation switches a latent factor into an active nuclear transcription factor.

    Evidence Deletion/phosphomimetic mutagenesis, co-IP, and reporter assays mapping activation, inhibitory, and inducibility domains plus Ser-477/479

    PMID:10893229

    Open questions at the time
    • Identity of the activating kinase(s) not resolved in this study
    • Structural basis of the phospho-induced conformational switch not determined
  2. 2005 High

    Established IRF7 as the non-redundant master regulator of systemic type I IFN, answering whether one factor unified the virus-activated and TLR/MyD88 pathways.

    Evidence Irf7-/- knockout mice with viral challenge, serum IFN measurement, and pDC functional assays

    PMID:15800576

    Open questions at the time
    • Did not dissect upstream signal-specific activation mechanisms
    • Cell-type-specific differences in IRF7 regulation not yet mechanistically explained
  3. 2006 Medium

    Showed IRF7 abundance is controlled post-translationally in a cell-type-specific manner, explaining why pDCs sustain IFN output while most cells do not.

    Evidence Half-life measurements across cell types with proteasome inhibition and viral infection

    PMID:16472772

    Open questions at the time
    • The specific E3 ligase mediating degradation not identified here
    • Molecular basis of pDC-specific stabilization beyond autocrine IFN unresolved
  4. 2012 High

    Identified upstream ubiquitin and transcriptional regulators that set the IRF7 activation threshold, including TRAF6 as the IRF7-specific (not IRF3) activator and FOXO3 as a direct repressor establishing a feed-forward circuit.

    Evidence TRAF6-deficient cells with IRF7 phosphorylation assays; Foxo3-null mice with genome-wide ChIP-seq; Pellino3 KO mice with ubiquitination assays

    PMID:19479062 PMID:22982991 PMID:23042151

    Open questions at the time
    • Quantitative contribution of each regulator to the IFN set point not integrated
    • Whether TRAF6-IRF7 selectivity over IRF3 is structural or contextual unclear
  5. 2016 High

    Resolved how phosphorylation status and nuclear delivery of IRF7 are balanced, identifying PP1 as the dephosphorylating brake and NFATC3 as a required nuclear cofactor co-occupying IFN promoters.

    Evidence Co-IP and phosphorylation assays for PP1; NFATC3 KO mice with ChIP and promoter mutagenesis; ChIP/promoter assays for USP25 target

    PMID:27129230 PMID:27469204 PMID:27697837

    Open questions at the time
    • How PP1 targeting to IRF7 is regulated dynamically not defined
    • Full repertoire of IRF7 nuclear cofactors beyond NFATC3 unknown
  6. 2018 Medium

    Defined the DNA-recognition rules of IRF7 dimers, showing transcriptional output depends on both binding affinity and affinity-independent allosteric effects at ISRE sites.

    Evidence Protein-binding microarrays with IRF7 homodimers, binding-site mutagenesis, and reporter assays

    PMID:29361124

    Open questions at the time
    • In vitro PBM context may not capture chromatin-bound behavior
    • Structural basis of allosteric effects not determined
  7. 2021 High

    Expanded the activation toolkit beyond phosphorylation, demonstrating neddylation and SAMHD1/HSP70 competition for IKKε as orthogonal control points over nuclear translocation and dimer choice.

    Evidence UBA3/NEDD8 myeloid-KO mice and neddylation mutants; competitive binding assays with HSP70/IKKε; co-IP and structural docking for SAMHD1-IRF7 contacts

    PMID:32169844 PMID:34506605 PMID:37328105

    Open questions at the time
    • Neddylation site(s) on IRF7 and the responsible ligase not fully mapped
    • Interplay between neddylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination not temporally ordered
  8. 2022 High

    Revealed biophysical and ubiquitin-linkage layers of IRF7 control: SIRT1 deacetylation licenses LLPS for transcription, NEURL3 K63 ubiquitination displaces HDAC1, and CUL3-KLHL22 K48 ubiquitination drives degradation.

    Evidence SIRT1 KO mice with genetic-code-expansion acetylation and LLPS assays; Neurl3-/- mice with site-specific ubiquitination and HDAC1 assays; XAF1 KO/XIAP-Tg mice with K48 ubiquitination assays

    PMID:35792897 PMID:35879450 PMID:36394357

    Open questions at the time
    • Whether LLPS occurs in vivo at endogenous IFN loci not directly visualized
    • Hierarchy between competing K48 and K63 ubiquitination events not established
  9. 2024 Medium

    Uncovered a non-transcriptional anti-inflammatory function and transcriptional control by SRSF7, separating IRF7's IFN-driving role from its restraint of NF-κB-p65.

    Evidence Separation-of-function transcriptionally-inactive IRF7 mutant with p65 co-IP; SRSF7 knockdown with STAT1/Pol II ChIP and KMT5a interaction assays

    PMID:38393946 PMID:38508315

    Open questions at the time
    • Structural basis of the IRF7-p65 interaction not defined
    • Physiological balance between IRF7's pro-IFN and anti-NF-κB roles unresolved
  10. 2025 Medium

    Extended IRF7 function into metabolic and disease programs, showing direct transactivation of Hif-1α driving glycolysis/M1 polarization, alongside earlier roles repressing PKM2 and S100A9 and driving ADAR1-loss myocarditis.

    Evidence ChIP and dual-luciferase for Hif-1α with in vivo prostatitis model; transcriptional/metabolic assays for PKM2; compound Adar1/Irf7 mice for myocarditis; Irf7-/- tumor models for S100A9/MDSC

    PMID:28092673 PMID:34975316 PMID:36000401 PMID:39985573

    Open questions at the time
    • Context-dependence of IRF7 activating vs repressing metabolic targets unexplained
    • Whether these target programs require canonical phospho-activation not tested

Open questions

Synthesis pass · forward-looking unresolved questions
  • How the dense network of competing activating and repressive modifications is integrated to produce defined, context-specific IRF7 transcriptional outputs across cell types remains unresolved.
  • No unified model orders the relative timing and dominance of phosphorylation, neddylation, K63/K48 ubiquitination, and LLPS
  • Determinants directing IRF7 to activate versus repress specific non-IFN target promoters are unknown

Mechanism profile

Synthesis pass · controlled-vocabulary classification · explore literature graph →
Molecular activity
GO:0140110 transcription regulator activity 7 GO:0003677 DNA binding 4
Localization
GO:0005634 nucleus 4 GO:0005829 cytosol 2
Pathway
R-HSA-168256 Immune System 5 R-HSA-74160 Gene expression (Transcription) 5 R-HSA-8953897 Cellular responses to stimuli 3
Partners
AIPHSP70IRF3NEURL3NFATC3PP1SAMHD1TRAF6

Evidence

Reading pass · 29 per-paper findings extracted from the source corpus
Year Finding Method Journal Conf PMIDs
2005 IRF7 is essential for the induction of IFN-α/β genes via both the virus-activated MyD88-independent pathway (in fibroblasts) and the TLR9/MyD88-dependent pathway (in plasmacytoid dendritic cells). Irf7-/- mice show severely impaired serum IFN levels and increased viral susceptibility, and pDC IFN production is entirely dependent on IRF7. Irf7-/- knockout mice, viral challenge, serum IFN measurement, pDC functional assays Nature High 15800576
2000 IRF-7 contains a constitutive activation domain (aa 150-246), an accessory inducibility region (aa 467-503), and an inhibitory region (aa 341-467). Virus-induced C-terminal phosphorylation of Ser-477 and Ser-479 drives nuclear translocation, DNA binding, and transcriptional activity. Phosphomimetic S477D/S479D substitution generates constitutively active IRF-7. IRF-7 forms homo- and heterodimers with IRF-3 detected by co-immunoprecipitation. Structure-function deletion/mutagenesis analysis, phosphomimetic substitution, co-immunoprecipitation, reporter gene assays The Journal of biological chemistry High 10893229
2016 PP1 (protein phosphatase 1) physically interacts with IRF7 via a conserved PP1-binding motif and dephosphorylates IRF7 C-terminal serine sites. Exogenous PP1α, β, or γ expression ablates IKKε-stimulated IRF7 phosphorylation and suppresses IRF7 transcriptional activity. PP1 inhibition increases IRF7 phosphorylation and IFN-α production upon viral infection or TLR7 challenge. Co-immunoprecipitation, phosphorylation assays, PP1 overexpression/inhibition, reporter gene assays, viral infection models European journal of immunology Medium 27469204
2006 IRF7 protein stability is regulated in a cell-type-specific manner: IRF7 is short-lived and undergoes proteasome-dependent degradation accelerated by virus infection in most cell types. In plasmacytoid dendritic cells, viral infection attenuates proteasomal degradation, stabilizing IRF7; stabilization is partially driven by autocrine IFN signaling. IRF7 half-life measurement in multiple cell types, proteasome inhibitor experiments, viral infection, fractionation Biochemical and biophysical research communications Medium 16472772
2012 Pellino3 (an E3 ubiquitin ligase) is induced by TLR3 signaling, interacts with and ubiquitinates TRAF6, thereby suppressing TRAF6's ability to interact with and activate IRF7. Pellino3-deficient mice show augmented type I interferon production and resistance to EMCV virus. Pellino3 knockout mice, co-immunoprecipitation, ubiquitination assay, viral challenge, IFN measurement Nature immunology High 23042151
2009 TRAF6 is required for activation of IRF7 (but not IRF3) during RIG-like helicase (cytosolic RNA) signaling and cytosolic DNA signaling; TRAF6 deficiency leads to defective NF-κB and IRF7 activation, increased viral replication, and reduced type I IFN production. TRAF6-deficient cells, viral infection, IRF7 phosphorylation assays, cytokine measurement, NF-κB activation assays PloS one Medium 19479062
2022 SIRT1-mediated deacetylation of the DNA-binding domain (DBD) of IRF7 (and IRF3) is required for virus-stimulated liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) with ISRE DNA and subsequent type I IFN induction. Hyperacetylation of the IRF7 DBD (due to SIRT1 deficiency or aging) inhibits LLPS and innate immunity. Introduction of an acetyl moiety at specific DBD residues (via genetic code expansion) abolishes LLPS and IFN-I induction. SIRT1-deficient mice, genetic code expansion/site-specific acetylation, LLPS assays, IFN reporter assays, viral challenge Nature immunology High 35879450
2015 AIP (aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein) directly binds IRF7, and this interaction is enhanced upon viral infection. AIP inhibits IRF7 function by antagonizing its nuclear localization, thereby suppressing type I IFN production. AIP-deficient MEFs are highly resistant to virus infection due to increased IFN production. Co-immunoprecipitation, AIP knockdown/overexpression, siRNA, AIP-/- MEFs, nuclear localization assays, viral infection The Journal of biological chemistry Medium 25911105
2016 NFATC3 specifically binds IRF7 and enhances IRF7-mediated IFN production. NFATC3 knockout reduces CpG-DNA-induced nuclear translocation of IRF7 and impairs type I IFN production in vitro and in vivo. NFATC3 and IRF7 co-occupy type I IFN promoters and the NFAT binding site in IFN promoters is required for IRF7-mediated IFN expression. Co-immunoprecipitation, NFATC3 knockout mice, ChIP, promoter mutagenesis, nuclear translocation assays, IFN measurement The Journal of experimental medicine High 27697837
2019 BUD13, an RNA-binding protein, binds to a specific intron in Irf7 pre-mRNA and promotes its splicing. BUD13 deficiency leads to increased intron retention, decreased mature Irf7 transcript and protein, and a dampened type I IFN response, impairing macrophage resistance to VSV infection. BUD13 knockdown, RNA-seq, intron retention analysis, BUD13 crosslinking-immunoprecipitation to RNA, viral challenge, IFN measurement Molecular cell High 30639243
2019 TARBP2 inhibits IRF7 activation by suppressing TRAF6-mediated K63-linked ubiquitination of IRF7, a prerequisite for IRF7 phosphorylation. TARBP2 overexpression impairs IRF7 phosphorylation, K63-ubiquitination, and stability of endogenous TRAF6; TARBP2 participates in the TRAF6-IRF7 interaction complex. Co-immunoprecipitation, overexpression/knockdown, ubiquitination assays, phosphorylation assays, Sendai virus infection Molecular immunology Medium 30927622
2021 IRF7 undergoes neddylation (post-translational modification), which is enhanced after RNA virus infection. Neddylation promotes IRF7 nuclear translocation without affecting phosphorylation or IRF3 dimerization. IRF7 mutants defective in neddylation show reduced Ifna promoter activity and enhanced dimerization with IRF5 (an Ifna repressor). Myeloid-specific deficiency of UBA3 or NEDD8 reduces IFN-α production and viral resistance in mice. Neddylation mutant IRF7, UBA3/NEDD8 KO mice, nuclear translocation assays, co-immunoprecipitation, promoter reporter assays, viral challenge PLoS pathogens High 34506605
2022 NEURL3 E3 ubiquitin ligase directly interacts with IRF7 and catalyzes K63-linked poly-ubiquitination on IRF7 lysine 375. This ubiquitination epigenetically enhances transcription of ISGs by disrupting IRF7 association with HDAC1. Neurl3-/- mice produce less type I IFNs and are more susceptible to viral infection. Co-immunoprecipitation, ubiquitination assays with K63-specific linkage analysis, Neurl3-/- mice, HDAC1 interaction assays, viral challenge, ISG reporter assays FASEB journal High 35792897
2022 The XAF1-XIAP axis controls the activity of KLHL22 (adaptor of BTB-CUL3-RBX1 E3 ligase). CUL3-KLHL22 directly targets IRF7 and catalyzes K48-linked ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of IRF7. XAF1 knockout and XIAP-transgenic mice show increased IRF7 stability and IFN-I production upon viral infection. XAF1 KO and XIAP transgenic mice, co-immunoprecipitation, K48 ubiquitination assays, viral infection, IFN measurement EMBO reports High 36394357
2020 HSP70 dampens IRF7 activation by competing with IKKε for IRF7 binding, thereby negatively regulating IKKε-mediated IRF7 phosphorylation and early type I IFN induction. HSP70 KO mice show altered early type I IFN responses. HSP70 KO mice, competitive binding assays between HSP70 and IKKε for IRF7, IFN induction assays Journal of immunology Medium 32169844
2023 SAMHD1 directly interacts with the inhibitory domain (ID) of IRF7 (residues F411, E416, V460 are critical contact sites), preventing IRF7 binding to IKKε and suppressing IRF7-mediated IFN-I activation. SAMHD1 also suppresses MAVS aggregation, reducing TBK1/IKKε/IRF3 phosphorylation. IRF7 knockdown in THP-1 cells reduces HIV-1 infection and viral transcription, indicating IRF7 promotes HIV-1 replication. Co-immunoprecipitation, computational docking, molecular dynamics simulations, site-directed mutagenesis of IRF7-ID, IRF7 knockdown, viral infection assays The Journal of biological chemistry High 37328105
2024 IRF7 has a non-transcriptional function: it directly interacts with NF-κB-p65 in the cytoplasm/nucleus and inhibits NF-κB-dependent inflammatory gene induction triggered by viral infection or TLR stimulation. A transcriptionally-defective IRF7 mutant retains this NF-κB interaction and anti-inflammatory activity, demonstrating the function is independent of IFN transcription. Co-immunoprecipitation, IRF7 knockdown/knockout/overexpression, transcriptionally-inactive IRF7 mutant, reporter gene assays, viral infection (Sendai virus, murine hepatitis virus) The Journal of biological chemistry Medium 38508315
2018 DNA-binding microarray analysis of IRF7 homodimers reveals that IRF7 and IRF3 bind many ISRE-type sites in IFN gene virus-response elements (VREs). Both DNA-binding affinity and affinity-independent (allosteric) mechanisms determine the transcriptional function of DNA-bound IRF7 dimers. Protein-binding microarrays (PBMs) with IRF7 homodimers, mutational analysis of IRF binding sites, reporter gene assays Nucleic acids research Medium 29361124
2016 IRF7 directly binds to two conserved IRF binding sites on the USP25 promoter to drive Usp25 transcription after viral infection; viral induction of Usp25 requires de novo IRF7 protein synthesis and is absent in IRF7- or IFNAR1-deficient cells. IRF7-deficient cells, ChIP, promoter mutagenesis, reporter gene assays, de novo protein synthesis inhibition The Journal of biological chemistry Medium 27129230
2014 IRF7 is recruited to the IL-33 promoter upon SAA stimulation and is required for SAA-induced IL33 transcriptional activation. IRF7 silencing abrogates SAA-induced IL-33 expression. SAA also promotes an interaction between TRAF6 and IRF7. ChIP, IRF7 siRNA knockdown, promoter deletion reporter assays, co-immunoprecipitation European journal of immunology Medium 24777946
2017 IRF7 deficiency in mice leads to significant elevation of granulocytic MDSCs (G-MDSCs) and enhanced tumor growth and metastasis. Mechanistically, IRF7 transrepresses S100A9 (a negative regulator of myeloid differentiation); S100A9 knockdown abrogates the effects of IRF7 deletion on G-MDSC development. Irf7-/- mice, tumor models, S100A9 knockdown, flow cytometry for G-MDSC quantification, gene expression analysis Oncogene Medium 28092673
2022 IRF7 inhibits the expression of the key glycolytic enzyme PKM2 via direct transcriptional regulation, thereby suppressing the Warburg effect in osteosarcoma cells. IRF7 loss-of-function and gain-of-function experiments, ChIP or promoter assays for PKM2, glycolysis metabolic assays (glucose uptake, lactate, ECAR, OCR), in vitro and in vivo tumor models International journal of biological sciences Medium 34975316
2019 Chicken STING (chSTING) interacts with both chIRF7 and chTBK1 and functions as a scaffold to mediate chTBK1-dependent phosphorylation/activation of chIRF7. A conserved SLQxSyS motif in chSTING is required for chIRF7 activation. chIRF7 is the critical IFN-β regulator in chickens, compensating for the absence of IRF3. chIRF7 CRISPR/Cas9 knockout DF-1 cells, co-immunoprecipitation, motif mutagenesis, IFN-β reporter assays, viral challenge Journal of immunology Medium 31366714
2020 In macrophages, IRF7 is activated by the TRIF- (not MyD88-) dependent pathway via TBK-1 upon LPS/TLR4 stimulation. Macrophage IRF7 protein expression at rest requires autocrine IFN signaling (dependent on IFNAR1 and STAT1). IRF7-deficient macrophages are defective in LPS-induced IFN-β production, which in turn impairs IL-1β production. Irf7-/- mice, Ifnar1-/- and Stat1-/- macrophages, LPS challenge, IFN-β and IL-1β ELISA, pathway inhibitor studies Frontiers in immunology Medium 32373120
2012 FOXO3 acts as a negative regulator of Irf7 transcription. Genome-wide location analysis and gene deletion studies in Foxo3-null macrophages show FOXO3 directly represses Irf7 expression. FOXO3, IRF7, and IFN-I form a coherent feed-forward regulatory circuit controlling the set point of the antiviral interferon response. Foxo3-null mice, genome-wide location analysis (ChIP-seq), gene deletion studies, macrophage functional assays Nature High 22982991
2022 IRF7 in cardiomyocytes is the main mediator of autoinflammatory responses caused by absence of ADAR1. Inactivation of Irf7 in Adar1-deficient cardiomyocytes attenuates interferon signaling gene activation and myocarditis to a similar extent as inactivation of the cytosolic RNA sensor MDA5/IFIH1, establishing that ADAR1 prevents IRF7-mediated autoinflammatory reactions triggered by non-edited endogenous RNAs. Compound Adar1/Irf7 and Adar1/Ifih1 mutant mice, immunofluorescence, Western blot, RNA-seq, cardiac functional MRI Circulation research High 36000401
2022 H1N1 NS2 protein specifically interacts with IRF7 and blocks IRF7 nuclear translocation by inhibiting IRF7 dimer formation, thereby preventing IFN-β production. Co-immunoprecipitation, nuclear translocation assays, IRF7 dimerization assays, IFN-β reporter assays Viruses Medium 36366509
2024 SRSF7 (an SR splicing factor) drives transcription of IRF7 at the Irf7 promoter in macrophages by maximizing STAT1 binding and RNA polymerase II elongation via cooperation with the H4K20me1 histone methyltransferase KMT5a (SET8), thereby promoting antiviral immunity. SRSF7 genetic knockdown, RNA-seq, ChIP for STAT1 and RNA Pol II, biochemical interaction assays with KMT5a, IRF7 reporter assays Cell reports Medium 38393946
2025 IRF7 acts as a transcription factor that directly binds the Hif-1α promoter in macrophages (confirmed by ChIP and dual-luciferase assay), upregulating Hif-1α transcription and thereby promoting glycolysis and M1 macrophage polarization in prostatitis. ChIP assays, dual-luciferase reporter assays, Irf7 knockdown, in vivo EAP mouse model, co-culture assays Cellular and molecular life sciences Medium 39985573

Source papers

Stage 0 corpus · 100 papers · ranked by NIH iCite citations
Year Title Journal Citations PMID
2005 IRF-7 is the master regulator of type-I interferon-dependent immune responses. Nature 1837 15800576
2011 IRF7: activation, regulation, modification and function. Genes and immunity 484 21490621
2000 Multiple regulatory domains control IRF-7 activity in response to virus infection. The Journal of biological chemistry 209 10893229
2012 A FOXO3-IRF7 gene regulatory circuit limits inflammatory sequelae of antiviral responses. Nature 125 22982991
2008 Molecular characterization of IRF3 and IRF7 in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss: functional analysis and transcriptional modulation. Molecular immunology 112 18805586
2009 TRAF6 establishes innate immune responses by activating NF-kappaB and IRF7 upon sensing cytosolic viral RNA and DNA. PloS one 106 19479062
2011 Association of a functional IRF7 variant with systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis and rheumatism 103 21360504
2016 Host genetics of severe influenza: from mouse Mx1 to human IRF7. Current opinion in immunology 100 26761402
2018 Type I interferon/IRF7 axis instigates chemotherapy-induced immunological dormancy in breast cancer. Oncogene 95 30546090
2002 Structure and function of IRF-7. Journal of interferon & cytokine research : the official journal of the International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research 91 11846980
2022 Deactylation by SIRT1 enables liquid-liquid phase separation of IRF3/IRF7 in innate antiviral immunity. Nature immunology 90 35879450
2015 A cGAS-Independent STING/IRF7 Pathway Mediates the Immunogenicity of DNA Vaccines. Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) 78 26590319
2002 Overlapping and distinct mechanisms regulating IRF-3 and IRF-7 function. Journal of interferon & cytokine research : the official journal of the International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research 78 11846975
2010 Epstein-Barr virus BRLF1 inhibits transcription of IRF3 and IRF7 and suppresses induction of interferon-beta. Virology 77 20381110
2009 Expression of RIG-I, IRF3, IFN-beta and IRF7 determines resistance or susceptibility of cells to infection by Newcastle Disease Virus. International journal of oncology 74 19287954
2018 Seneca Valley Virus 3Cpro abrogates the IRF3- and IRF7-mediated innate immune response by degrading IRF3 and IRF7. Virology 73 29427864
2018 DNA-binding landscape of IRF3, IRF5 and IRF7 dimers: implications for dimer-specific gene regulation. Nucleic acids research 72 29361124
2019 IRF7 Is Involved in Both STING and MAVS Mediating IFN-β Signaling in IRF3-Lacking Chickens. Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) 68 31366714
2013 NF-κB and IRF7 pathway activation by Epstein-Barr virus Latent Membrane Protein 1. Viruses 68 23793113
2018 Rsad2 is necessary for mouse dendritic cell maturation via the IRF7-mediated signaling pathway. Cell death & disease 66 30068989
2011 Epigenetic silencing of IRF7 and/or IRF5 in lung cancer cells leads to increased sensitivity to oncolytic viruses. PloS one 62 22194884
2021 TLR4-Associated IRF-7 and NFκB Signaling Act as a Molecular Link Between Androgen and Metformin Activities and Cytokine Synthesis in the PCOS Endometrium. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 61 33382900
2018 Plasmacytoid dendritic cells control dengue and Chikungunya virus infections via IRF7-regulated interferon responses. eLife 60 29914621
2015 microRNA-762 promotes breast cancer cell proliferation and invasion by targeting IRF7 expression. Cell proliferation 58 26597380
2011 Novel identification of the IRF7 region as an anticentromere autoantibody propensity locus in systemic sclerosis. Annals of the rheumatic diseases 56 21926187
2020 Circular RNA circ-EGLN3 promotes renal cell carcinoma proliferation and aggressiveness via miR-1299-mediated IRF7 activation. Journal of cellular biochemistry 55 31904147
2020 RAGE impairs murine diabetic atherosclerosis regression and implicates IRF7 in macrophage inflammation and cholesterol metabolism. JCI insight 55 32641587
2008 Interferon regulatory factors IRF5 and IRF7 inhibit growth and induce senescence in immortal Li-Fraumeni fibroblasts. Molecular cancer research : MCR 55 18505922
2006 Regulation of IRF7 through cell type-specific protein stability. Biochemical and biophysical research communications 51 16472772
2012 Pellino3 targets the IRF7 pathway and facilitates autoregulation of TLR3- and viral-induced expression of type I interferons. Nature immunology 50 23042151
2006 Distinct functions of IRF-3 and IRF-7 in IFN-alpha gene regulation and control of anti-tumor activity in primary macrophages. Biochemical pharmacology 50 16846591
2023 Irf7 regulates the expression of Srg3 and ferroptosis axis aggravated sepsis-induced acute lung injury. Cellular & molecular biology letters 49 37946128
2017 IRF7 regulates the development of granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells through S100A9 transrepression in cancer. Oncogene 48 28092673
2008 Gene structures and promoter characteristics of interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF-1), IRF-2 and IRF-7 from snakehead Channa argus. Molecular immunology 47 18291530
2016 IRF7 inhibition prevents destructive innate immunity-A target for nonantibiotic therapy of bacterial infections. Science translational medicine 46 27122612
2017 Tim-3 is a Marker of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Dysfunction during HIV Infection and Is Associated with the Recruitment of IRF7 and p85 into Lysosomes and with the Submembrane Displacement of TLR9. Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) 44 28264968
2007 Gene structure and transcription of IRF-1 and IRF-7 in the mandarin fish Siniperca chuatsi. Veterinary immunology and immunopathology 44 17289159
2015 Characterization and expression analyses of five interferon regulatory factor transcripts (Irf4a, Irf4b, Irf7, Irf8, Irf10) in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Fish & shellfish immunology 43 25731920
2019 BUD13 Promotes a Type I Interferon Response by Countering Intron Retention in Irf7. Molecular cell 40 30639243
2011 TRAF6 and IRF7 control HIV replication in macrophages. PloS one 40 22140520
2014 Serum amyloid A induces interleukin-33 expression through an IRF7-dependent pathway. European journal of immunology 39 24777946
2022 ADAR1 Prevents Autoinflammatory Processes in the Heart Mediated by IRF7. Circulation research 38 36000401
2016 The Type I Interferon-IRF7 Axis Mediates Transcriptional Expression of Usp25 Gene. The Journal of biological chemistry 37 27129230
2016 Protein phosphatase 1 abrogates IRF7-mediated type I IFN response in antiviral immunity. European journal of immunology 37 27469204
2015 Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Interacting Protein Targets IRF7 to Suppress Antiviral Signaling and the Induction of Type I Interferon. The Journal of biological chemistry 36 25911105
2020 Anti-inflammatory effects of nobiletin on TLR4/TRIF/IRF3 and TLR9/IRF7 signaling pathways in prostate cancer cells. Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology 34 32048561
2012 IRF7, a functional factor associates with systemic lupus erythematosus. Cytokine 33 22455868
2022 IRF7 inhibits the Warburg effect via transcriptional suppression of PKM2 in osteosarcoma. International journal of biological sciences 32 34975316
2020 IRF-7 Mediates Type I IFN Responses in Endotoxin-Challenged Mice. Frontiers in immunology 32 32373120
2024 Melanoma Derived Exosomes Amplify Radiotherapy Induced Abscopal Effect via IRF7/I-IFN Axis in Macrophages. Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) 30 38286661
2021 Zebrafish otud6b Negatively Regulates Antiviral Responses by Suppressing K63-Linked Ubiquitination of irf3 and irf7. Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) 29 34183367
2022 NF-κB p65 and SETDB1 expedite lipopolysaccharide-induced intestinal inflammation in mice by inducing IRF7/NLR-dependent macrophage M1 polarization. International immunopharmacology 27 36580757
2020 Porcine deltacoronavirus nucleocapsid protein species-specifically suppressed IRF7-induced type I interferon production via ubiquitin-proteasomal degradation pathway. Veterinary microbiology 27 32992291
2013 Tat engagement of p38 MAP kinase and IRF7 pathways leads to activation of interferon-stimulated genes in antigen-presenting cells. Blood 27 23535064
2020 Knockout of IRF7 Highlights its Modulator Function of Host Response Against Avian Influenza Virus and the Involvement of MAPK and TOR Signaling Pathways in Chicken. Genes 26 32252379
2021 Myeloid neddylation targets IRF7 and promotes host innate immunity against RNA viruses. PLoS pathogens 24 34506605
2019 Interferon-regulatory factors, IRF3 and IRF7 in Asian seabass, Lates calcarifer: Characterization, ontogeny and transcriptional modulation upon challenge with nervous necrosis virus. Fish & shellfish immunology 24 30940578
2016 Expression and functional characterization of interferon regulatory factors (irf2, irf7 and irf9) in the blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala). Developmental and comparative immunology 24 27677680
2013 IRF5, IRF8, and IRF7 in human pDCs - the good, the bad, and the insignificant? European journal of immunology 24 23828296
2016 NFATC3 promotes IRF7 transcriptional activity in plasmacy--toid dendritic cells. The Journal of experimental medicine 23 27697837
2024 KRAS mutations promote the intratumoral colonization of enterotoxigenic bacteroides fragilis in colorectal cancer through the regulation of the miRNA3655/SURF6/IRF7/IFNβ axis. Gut microbes 22 39523457
2022 H1N1 Influenza A Virus Protein NS2 Inhibits Innate Immune Response by Targeting IRF7. Viruses 22 36366509
2020 Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is associated with IRF7, BANK1 and TBX21 polymorphisms in two populations. European journal of neurology 22 33065758
2019 TARBP2 inhibits IRF7 activation by suppressing TRAF6-mediated K63-linked ubiquitination of IRF7. Molecular immunology 21 30927622
2024 Single-cell sequencing combined with spatial transcriptomics reveals that the IRF7 gene in M1 macrophages inhibits the occurrence of pancreatic cancer by regulating lipid metabolism-related mechanisms. Clinical and translational medicine 20 39118300
2018 Ctenopharyngodon idella TBK1 activates innate immune response via IRF7. Fish & shellfish immunology 20 29960062
2022 E3 ubiquitin ligase NEURL3 promotes innate antiviral response through catalyzing K63-linked ubiquitination of IRF7. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 19 35792897
2019 IRF3 and IRF7 mediate neovascularization via inflammatory cytokines. Journal of cellular and molecular medicine 19 30932349
2024 Serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 7 promotes the type I interferon response by activating Irf7 transcription. Cell reports 18 38393946
2018 Zebrafish NDRG1a Negatively Regulates IFN Induction by Promoting the Degradation of IRF7. Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) 18 30504422
2017 Swine IRF3/IRF7 attenuates inflammatory responses through TLR4 signaling pathway. Oncotarget 18 28977918
2022 Loss of IRF7 accelerates acute myeloid leukemia progression and induces VCAM1-VLA-4 mediated intracerebral invasion. Oncogene 17 35256780
2024 Augmenting antitumor efficacy of Th17-derived Th1 cells through IFN-γ-induced type I interferon response network via IRF7. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 16 39541355
2023 IRF7 and UNC93B1 variants in an infant with recurrent herpes simplex virus infection. The Journal of clinical investigation 16 37097753
2018 Overexpression of Chicken IRF7 Increased Viral Replication and Programmed Cell Death to the Avian Influenza Virus Infection Through TGF-Beta/FoxO Signaling Axis in DF-1. Frontiers in genetics 16 30356848
2024 Deficiency of Tlr7 and Irf7 in mice increases the severity of COVID-19 through the reduced interferon production. Communications biology 15 39289468
2023 Promotive role of IRF7 in ferroptosis of colonic epithelial cells in ulcerative colitis by the miR-375-3p/SLC11A2 axis. Biomolecules & biomedicine 15 36336986
2023 Investigating the TLR4/TAK1/IRF7 axis in NLRP3-Mediated Pyroptosis in Parkinson's Disease. Inflammation 15 37930487
2022 Mfn2 is responsible for inhibition of the RIG-I/IRF7 pathway and activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in Seneca Valley virus-infected PK-15 cells to promote viral replication. Frontiers in immunology 15 35958608
2015 IRF7 promotes glioma cell invasion by inhibiting AGO2 expression. Tumour biology : the journal of the International Society for Oncodevelopmental Biology and Medicine 15 25680411
2025 Irf7 aggravates prostatitis by promoting Hif-1α-mediated glycolysis to facilitate M1 polarization. Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS 14 39985573
2024 1,2-Dichloroethane induces testicular pyroptosis by activating piR-mmu-1019957/IRF7 pathway and the protective effects of melatonin. Environment international 13 38341879
2023 DHAV 3CD targets IRF7 and RIG-I proteins to block the type I interferon upstream signaling pathway. Veterinary research 13 36703166
2023 Interaction of Nmi and IFP35 Promotes Mutual Protein Stabilization and IRF3 and IRF7 Degradation to Suppress Type I IFN Production in Teleost Fish. Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) 13 37010945
2023 TRIM21 Promotes Rabies Virus Production by Degrading IRF7 through Ubiquitination. International journal of molecular sciences 13 37446070
2022 Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) KAT8 Inhibits IFN 1 Response Through Acetylating IRF3/IRF7. Frontiers in immunology 13 35046960
2022 Avian IRF1 and IRF7 Play Overlapping and Distinct Roles in Regulating IFN-Dependent and -Independent Antiviral Responses to Duck Tembusu Virus Infection. Viruses 13 35891486
2022 XAF1 prevents hyperproduction of type I interferon upon viral infection by targeting IRF7. EMBO reports 13 36394357
2014 Expression of porcine fusion protein IRF7/3(5D) efficiently controls foot-and-mouth disease virus replication. Journal of virology 13 25031341
2023 SAMHD1 impairs type I interferon induction through the MAVS, IKKε, and IRF7 signaling axis during viral infection. The Journal of biological chemistry 12 37328105
2022 Duck Tembusu Virus Inhibits Type I Interferon Production through the JOSD1-SOCS1-IRF7 Negative-Feedback Regulation Pathway. Journal of virology 12 36069544
2022 IRF7-deficient MDCK cell based on CRISPR/Cas9 technology for enhancing influenza virus replication and improving vaccine production. PeerJ 12 36164603
2022 Co-infection of porcine deltacoronavirus and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus induces early TRAF6-mediated NF-κB and IRF7 signaling pathways through TLRs. Scientific reports 12 36376395
2016 Constitutively Active IRF7/IRF3 Fusion Protein Completely Protects Swine against Foot-and-Mouth Disease. Journal of virology 12 27466421
2025 Identification of splenic IRF7 as a nanotherapy target for tele-conditioning myocardial reperfusion injury. Nature communications 11 39994192
2024 Non-transcriptional IRF7 interacts with NF-κB to inhibit viral inflammation. The Journal of biological chemistry 11 38508315
2023 PYHIN protein IFI207 regulates cytokine transcription and IRF7 and contributes to the establishment of K. pneumoniae infection. Cell reports 11 37018072
2025 Neutrophil Extracellular Traps-Associated RNA Impedes CD4+ Treg Differentiation by TLR7-IRF7 Axis in Ankylosing Spondylitis. Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.) 10 40211099
2024 SREBP2 restricts osteoclast differentiation and activity by regulating IRF7 and limits inflammatory bone erosion. Bone research 10 39191742
2020 Negative Regulation of IKKε-Mediated IRF7 Phosphorylation by HSP70. Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) 10 32169844

Missed literature

Know a paper Affinage missed for IRF7? Flag it for the maintainers and the community.

No submissions yet.