Cited by 367Down syndrome and intellectual disability researchinterferon and immune responsesGenetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities

Trisomy 21 consistently activates the interferon response

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Sullivan, Kelly D, Lewis, Hannah C, Hill, Amanda A, Pandey, Ahwan, Jackson, Leisa P, Cabral, Joseph M, Smith, Keith P, Liggett, L Alexander +4 more·2016·eLife

Abstract

Although it is clear that trisomy 21 causes Down syndrome, the molecular events acting downstream of the trisomy remain ill defined. Using complementary genomics analyses, we identified the interferon pathway as the major signaling cascade consistently activated by trisomy 21 in human cells. Transcriptome analysis revealed that trisomy 21 activates the interferon transcriptional response in fibroblast and lymphoblastoid cell lines, as well as circulating monocytes and T cells. Trisomy 21 cells show increased induction of interferon-stimulated genes and decreased expression of ribosomal proteins and translation factors. An shRNA screen determined that the interferon-activated kinases JAK1 and TYK2 suppress proliferation of trisomy 21 fibroblasts, and this defect is rescued by pharmacological JAK inhibition. Therefore, we propose that interferon activation, likely via increased gene dosage of the four interferon receptors encoded on chromosome 21, contributes to many of the clinical impacts of trisomy 21, and that interferon antagonists could have therapeutic benefits.

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Crossref · 10.7554/elife.16220

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  • Both individuals with DS and mouse models of DS experience constitutive hyperactivation of interferon (IFN) signaling with signs of chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation, which could exacerbate the neuroinflammatory response.

    “Notably, both individuals with DS and mouse models of DS experience constitutive hyperactivation of interferon (IFN) signaling with signs of chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40 that could exacerbate the neuroinflammatory response.”

    From Interferon signaling modulates Down syndrome-associated Alzheimer’s disease pathology in a mouse model (2025) · cites this paper as [36]

    The Results report IFN-response gene activation in a DS mouse model, and the Discussion describes widespread IFN-pathway activation in human trisomy 21 cells and relevance to mouse models with triplicated IFN receptors. The Discussion also links DS to inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, but does not establish signs of chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation in both individuals and mouse models. It proposes, rather than demonstrates, a neurological effect through microglial activation. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Trisomy 21 causes widespread alterations in gene expression across the genome in multiple human cell types.

    “we reported the results of transcriptome analyses of four different cell types obtained from people with and without T21, which demonstrated that T21 causes widespread alterations in gene expression across the genome”
  • Trisomy 21 causes consistent activation of the interferon transcriptional response in human cells.

    “including, most prominently, consistent activation of the interferon transcriptional response17”
  • T21 impacts gene expression across the genome.

    “However, unbiased analyses using omics technology have recently revealed that T21 impacts gene expression across the genome39,74,143,156–159.”
  • People with DS present increased IFN signaling likely driven by triplication of four of the six IFN receptors encoded on HSA21, rather than by massive elevation of IFN ligands, and this has been associated with chronic immune dysregulation.

    “people with DS present an increased IFN signaling likely driven by triplication of four of the six IFN receptors encoded on HSA21,36 rather than by massive elevation of the IFN ligands themselves as seen in interferonopathies,80 and this has been associated with chronic immune dysregulation.”

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Authors
Sullivan, K. D., Lewis, H. C., Hill, A. A., Pandey, A., Jackson, L. P., Cabral, J. M., Smith, K. P., Liggett, L. A., Gomez, E. B., Galbraith, M. D., DeGregori, J., & Espinosa, J. M.
Affiliations
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
  • University of Colorado Anschutz (US)
  • Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, United States
Corresponding author
Sullivan, Kelly D
Venue
eLife
Published
2016-07-29
Volume
5
ISSN
2050-084X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2487528628
Cited by
362
References
88
Citations by year
2026: 50 · 2025: 41 · 2024: 58 · 2023: 40 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 36 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1
FWCI
17.85
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • eLife (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • University of Colorado (Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome)
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute
  • National Institutes of Health (R01CA117907, P30CA046934-27)
  • National Science Foundation (MCB-1243522)
  • Anna and John J. Sie Foundation
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Down syndrome and intellectual disability research
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › interferon and immune responses
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities
Keywords
Down syndrome, interferon signaling, interferon-stimulated genes, gene dosage, interferon receptor, JAK1, TYK2, ribosomal proteins, translation (biology), cell proliferation, shRNA screen, JAK inhibition, transcriptome
MeSH terms
Cells, Cultured, Down Syndrome, Fibroblasts, Humans, Immunity, Innate, Interferons, Monocytes, T-Lymphocytes, Gene Expression Profiling

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