IFNL3 (Interferon Lambda 3) Gene
Key regulator of antiviral immune response and genetic determinant of hepatitis C virus clearance
Gene Information Card
| Symbol | IFNL3 |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Interferon Lambda 3 |
| Gene Type | Protein coding |
| Chromosomal Location | 19q13.2 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 282618 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/282618 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000197110 |
| UniProt ID | Q8IZI9 |
| OMIM ID | 607401 |
| HGNC ID | 18365 |
| Aliases | IL28B, IL-28B, IFN-lambda-3, IFNL3 |
Description
IFNL3 encodes interferon lambda 3, a type III interferon that plays a critical role in innate antiviral immunity. It signals through the IL28R receptor complex to induce JAK-STAT pathway activation and expression of interferon-stimulated genes. Genetic variants in IFNL3 are strongly associated with spontaneous and treatment-induced clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
Disease Associations
| Disease category | Pathophysiological mechanism | Genomic evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Hepatitis C virus infection (response to therapy) | IFNL3 polymorphisms (e.g., rs12979860) alter ISG expression and viral clearance | Multiple GWAS studies (Ge et al., 2009, Nature) |
| Chronic hepatitis C | Reduced IFNL3 expression linked to persistent infection | ClinVar, OMIM |
| Drug-induced liver injury (e.g., from peginterferon/ribavirin) | IFNL3 genotype influences risk of adverse effects | NCBI Gene review |
Expression Profile
Tissue Expression
| Tissue | nTPM | level |
|---|---|---|
| Liver | 0.6 | Low |
| Whole blood | 0.1 | Not detected |
| Lung | 0.3 | Low |
| Spleen | 0.2 | Not detected |
| Small intestine | 0.4 | Low |
Cell Line Expression
| Cell Line | nTPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| HepG2 | 0.5 | Hepatocellular carcinoma cell line |
| A549 | 0.8 | Lung carcinoma cell line |
| THP-1 | 0.2 | Monocytic leukemia cell line |
| Jurkat | 0.1 | T-cell leukemia cell line |
Data source：Human Protein Atlas（proteinatlas.org）
Mutations & Variants
Hotspot Mutations
| Variant | Type | Frequency | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| rs12979860 (C/T) | SNP (intronic) | Major allele C ~0.6-0.7 in Europeans | CC genotype associated with HCV clearance; TT with poor response |
| rs8099917 (T/G) | SNP (intergenic) | Major allele T ~0.7-0.8 | TT genotype favorable for HCV treatment response |
| rs368234815 (TT/ΔG) | Frameshift variant | ~0.3-0.4 in Africans | ΔG allele creates IFNL4; linked to reduced HCV clearance |
Mutation functional classification
Loss of Function (LOF)
rs368234815 ΔG allele creates IFNL4, reducing IFNL3 expression and antiviral activity
Gain of Function (GOF)
Not well characterized; rs12979860 C allele associated with higher ISG induction
Dominant Negative (DN)
Not reported
View complete mutation data：
Gene Ontology (GO)
Pathways
• JAK-STAT signaling pathway (KEGG: hsa04630)
• Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction (KEGG: hsa04060)
• Influenza A (KEGG: hsa05164)
• Hepatitis C (KEGG: hsa05160)
Protein Summary
IFNL3 is a 196-amino acid cytokine belonging to the type III interferon family. It is secreted and binds to the IL28RA/IL10RB receptor complex, activating JAK1 and TYK2 kinases, leading to STAT1/STAT2 phosphorylation and ISGF3 complex formation. This induces interferon-stimulated genes that establish an antiviral state. The protein shares structural homology with IL-10 family cytokines and is primarily expressed in response to viral infection.
Related Services
Related Products
| Product name | Cat.No. | Species | Gene ID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IFNL3 Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ2472 | Human | 282617 | Details Get a Quote |
| IFNL3 Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ59365 | Human | 282617 | Details Get a Quote |
| IFNL3 Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ67827 | Human | 282617 | Details Get a Quote |
| IFNL3 Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ76211 | Human | 282617 | Details Get a Quote |
