Multiple sclerosis

<StructureSection load='2hym' size='500' side='right' caption='Click on the green links to the left to see key structural features of Interferon Beta (PDB entry [[2hym]])' scene=''>

Interferon-β is a protein growth factor that stimulates an antiviral defense. Its encoding gene is one of only two known vertebrate structural genes that lacks introns.<ref name="Biochem Text">Voet, D., Voet, J.G., and C. Pratt. ''Fundamentals of Biochemistry'' 3rd Edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, 2008. Print.</ref>

Interferon-β is a relatively simple biological response modifier, with several <scene name='Sandbox_37/Interferon_beta/2'>identifiable regions</scene>. It consists of five <scene name='Sandbox_37/Ifnb_helices_in_color/1'>alpha helices</scene>, as well as multiple interconnecting <scene name='Sandbox_37/Ifnb_loopregions_in_color/1'>loop regions</scene>. Helices A, B and D run <scene name='Sandbox_37/Ifnb_parallel_abd/1'>parallel to one another</scene>, and helices C and E run <scene name='Sandbox_37/Interferon_beta/3'>anti-parallel</scene> to the other three helices. Helix A consists of residues 6-23; Helix B consists of residues 49-65; Helix C consists of residues 77-91; Helix D consists of residues 112-131; and Helix E consists of residues 135-155.

<ref name="Structure">PMID:20616576</ref>

<ref name="UniProt">http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P00784</ref>

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