Cited by 147interferon and immune responsesGene Regulatory Network AnalysisImmune Response and Inflammation

Multi-layered stochasticity and paracrine signal propagation shape the type-I interferon response

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Rand, Ulfert, Rinas, Melanie, Schwerk, Johannes, Nöhren, Gesa, Linnes, Melanie, Kröger, Andrea, Flossdorf, Michael, Kály‐Kullai, Kristóf +3 more·2012·Molecular Systems Biology

Abstract

The cellular recognition of viruses evokes the secretion of type‐I interferons (IFNs) that induce an antiviral protective state. By live‐cell imaging, we show that key steps of virus‐induced signal transduction, IFN‐β expression, and induction of IFN‐stimulated genes (ISGs) are stochastic events in individual cells. The heterogeneity in IFN production is of cellular—and not viral—origin, and temporal unpredictability of IFN‐β expression is largely due to cell‐intrinsic noise generated both upstream and downstream of the activation of nuclear factor‐κB and IFN regulatory factor transcription factors. Subsequent ISG induction occurs as a stochastic all‐or‐nothing switch, where the responding cells are protected against virus replication. Mathematical modelling and experimental validation show that reliable antiviral protection in the face of multi‐layered cellular stochasticity is achieved by paracrine response amplification. Achieving coherent responses through intercellular communication is likely to be a more widely used strategy by mammalian cells to cope with pervasive stochasticity in signalling and gene expression. Live‐cell imaging and mathematical modelling of the type‐I interferon response to viral infection reveal that multiple layers of the cellular response are stochastic events in individual cells, while paracrine propagation of the IFN signal results in reliable antiviral protection. Live‐cell imaging and mathematical modelling of the type‐I interferon response to viral infection reveal that multiple layers of the cellular response are stochastic events in individual cells, while paracrine propagation of the IFN signal results in reliable antiviral protection.

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Crossref · 10.1038/msb.2012.17

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  • The type I IFN response can be heterogeneous: it depends on the reacting cell's state, is at least partly stochastic, varies among cell types and microenvironments, and shows interindividual heterogeneity in amplitude and kinetics.

    “Importantly, the type I IFN response can be rather heterogeneous. Depending on the state of the reacting cell (e.g., with respect to its metabolic or general activation state) (Talemi and Höfer, 2018), it is at least in part stochastic (Rand et al., 2012; Wimmers et al., 2018), it varies among different cell types and microenvironments, and it shows interindividual heterogeneity concerning the”

    From COVID-19 and the human innate immune system (2021) · cites this paper as Rand et al., 2012

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Authors
Rand, U., Rinas, M., Schwerk, J., Nöhren, G., Linnes, M., Kröger, A., Flossdorf, M., Kály‐Kullai, K., Hauser, H., Höfer, T., & Köster, M.
Affiliations
  • German Cancer Research Center (DE)
  • Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (DE)
Corresponding author
  • Höfer, Thomas
  • Köster, Mario
Venue
Molecular Systems Biology
Published
2012-05-22
Volume
8
Issue
1
Pages
584-584
ISSN
1744-4292 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2167213467
Cited by
147
References
47
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 3
FWCI
5.29
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Molecular Systems Biology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • HZI (Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 900)
  • Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › interferon and immune responses
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gene Regulatory Network Analysis
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immune Response and Inflammation
Keywords
type I interferon response, stochastic gene expression, intercellular communication, IFN-stimulated genes, NF-κB, IRF transcription factors, antiviral defense, viral infection
MeSH terms
Animals, Cell Line, Gene Expression Regulation, Interferon Type I, Models, Biological, Newcastle disease virus, Stochastic Processes, Transcription Factors, Signal Transduction, NF-kappa B, Interferon-beta, Paracrine Communication, Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial, Mice, Host-Pathogen Interactions, Single-Cell Analysis

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