Interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3)

Essential transcriptional regulator of type I interferon (IFN)-dependent immune responses which plays a critical role in the innate immune response against DNA and RNA viruses. Regulates the transcription of type I IFN genes (IFN-alpha and IFN-beta) and IFN-stimulated genes (ISG) by binding to an interferon-stimulated response element (ISRE) in their promoters.

Acts as a more potent activator of the IFN-beta (IFNB) gene than the IFN-alpha (IFNA) gene and plays a critical role in both the early and late stages of the IFNA/B gene induction. Located in an inactive form in the cytoplasm of uninfected cells and after viral infection, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), or toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling, is phosphorylated by IKBKE and TBK1 kinases.