Interferon-alpha 2 (IFN alpha -2) is one of 14 subtypes within the IFN-alpha class of Type?I Interferons (1). The members of the IFN-alpha class, also known as alpha leukocyte interferons, encompass a group of distinct but closely related proteins which share approximately 80%?amino acid (aa) sequence identity and have a similar globular structure composed of five alpha-helices (1,?3,?4). IFN-alpha class members signal through a common cell surface receptor complex composed of IFN-alpha R2 and IFN-alpha R1 subunits (3). As the first highly active IFN to be cloned and produced, IFN alpha -2 has become the prototypic IFN for academic and pharmaceutical research (2). The mature extracellular domain (ECD) of mouse IFN alpha -2 shares 60%?and 83%?aa sequence identity with human and rat, respectively. Murine IFN-alpha 2 can eliminate cardiac viral load and protect cardiomyocytes from injury in animals infected with coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) (5). IFN alpha -2 derived mutants with reduced IFNR2 binding inhibited HIV replication and mutants with more IFNAR1 binding potentiated antiviral activity (6)
