Interferon Stimulated Exonuclease Gene 20kDa (ISG20)

Sequence analysis of ISG20 also predicted a coiled-coil structure in the region of amino acids 78-107, suggesting that the protein could be a component of a multiprotein complex. The coiled-coil domain is bordered on both sides by potential phosphorylation sites. ISG20 shares amino acid cluster homologies with XPMC2H , suggesting an antigrowth function, which is also a property of IFNs.

Northern blot analysis of IFN-treated Daudi cells determined that expression increases in response to this stimulus and occurs at the transcriptional level. In the absence of IFN treatment, Northern blot analysis detected ISG20 expression in peripheral blood leukocytes, thymus, spleen, colon, and lung.