The proteins of ISGF-3, the interferon alpha-induced transcriptional activator, define a gene family involved in signal transduction.

ISGF-3 is a multiprotein transcription factor that is very quickly activated in the cell cytoplasm only after attachment of interferon alpha to the cell surface. To understand the specific cytoplasmic activation of proteins that move to the nucleus and direct increased transcription of specific genes, we have purified and now report completion of the cloning of cDNA encoding the four proteins of ISGF-3. With all of the sequences available, it is clear that three of these proteins are encoded by members of a previously unrecognized gene family. We suggest that proteins encoded by this gene family serve the function of interpreting the fact that a cell surface receptor has bound its ligand so that specific signal transduction to the nucleus can occur.