General Notes
Mouse anti Chicken interferon alpha antibody, clone UMCh3-IFNa recognizes chicken Interferon alpha (chIFN-alpha).The classification of mammalian cytokines with antiviral activity, is well documented as being either Type I Interferon (IFNI) or Type II Interferon (IFNII). This is not the case for avian IFNs however, even though IFN was first detected in the chicken.There are similarities between chicken IFN and mammalian IFNI with conservation of cysteine residues and the existence of around ten closely related intron-less IFN alpha genes (Staeheli et al. 2001). Chicken IFN-alpha genes are strongly expressed following viral infection of monocyte-derived macrophage and embryo fibroblasts and that chicken IFN acts as a potent antiviral agent (Marcus et al. 1999). Mouse anti Chicken interferon alpha antibody, clone UMCh3-IFNa does not cross react with IFN beta or IFN gamma and does not neutralize chIFN-alpha.