| Popis: |
This article provides a short description of the discovery, mode of action, and characteristics of the interferon tau (IFNT), which is produced in abundance by the trophectoderm of peri-implantation conceptuses from the ruminant species for a restricted period during early pregnancy. These secreted molecules have an antiluteolytic action and help to ensure the continued production of progesterone by the ovary during early pregnancy. Conceivably, they also have other roles, including an ability to adjust the maternal endocrine and perhaps immune systems in the interests of conceptus survival. The emphasis in this article is on the antiluteolytic activity of the IFNT, how the IFNT is distinct from other type I IFNs, and how the IFNT might have evolved for a role in maternal recognition of pregnancy. |
