Iridium(V) fluoride
Iridium(V) fluoride, IrF5, is a chemical compound of iridium and fluorine, first described by Neil Bartlett in 1965. A highly reactive yellow low melting solid, it has a tetrameric structure, Ir4F20, which contains octahedrally coordinated iridium atoms. This structure is shared with RuF5 and OsF5. It can be prepared by the controlled decomposition of IrF6or the reduction of IrF6 with silicon powder or H2 in anhydrous HF.
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IRF5
Interferon regulatory factor 5 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the IRF5 gene.
Function
IRF5 is a member of the interferon regulatory factor (IRF) family, a group of transcription factors with diverse roles, including virus-mediated activation of interferon, and modulation of cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, and immune system activity. Members of the IRF family are characterized by a conserved N-terminal DNA-binding domain containing tryptophan (W) repeats. Alternative splice variants encoding different isoforms exist.
Clinical significance
IRF5 acts as a molecular switch that controls whether macrophages will promote or inhibit inflammation. Blocking the production of IRF5 in macrophages may help treat a wide range of autoimmune diseases, and that boosting IRF5 levels might help treat people whose immune systems are weak, compromised, or damaged. IRF5 seems to work "either by interacting with DNA directly, or by interacting with other proteins that themselves control which genes are switched on."
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