Transcriptomic analysis and cell type deconvolution confirmed the <i>FAS</i> genotype/T<sub>SCM</sub> link and IFN-α-induced downregulation of CD4 T<sub>SCM</sub>-specific genes in ATL patient cells.
Overall, our findings suggest that both HBZ and Tax1 are negative regulators of immediate early IFN-β innate immune responses, while HBZ but not Tax1 positively regulates the induction of IFN-α and downstream IFN-α signaling.<b>IMPORTANCE</b> Type I interferons are powerful antiviral cytokines and are used extensively in the treatment of HTLV-1-induced adult T cell leukemia (ATL).
Type I interferons (IFNs) are key effectors of the innate antiviral response, and IFN-α combined with the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor zidovudine is considered the standard first-line therapy for ATL.