Acts as a signaling pathway regulator involved in innate immune system response. In response to interleukin 2/IL2 and interferon IFN-gamma/IFNG, interacts with signal transducer and activator of transcription/STAT which activate the transcription of downstream genes involved in a multitude of signals for development and homeostasis. Enhances the recruitment of CBP/p300 coactivators to STAT1 and STAT5, resulting in increased STAT1- and STAT5-dependent transcription. In response to interferon IFN-alpha, associates in a complex with transcriptional regulator IFI35 to regulate immune response; the complex formation prevents proteasome-mediated degradation of IFI35. In complex with IFI35, negatively regulates nuclear factor NF-kappa-B signaling by inhibiting the nuclear translocation, activation and transcription of NF-kappa-B subunit p65/RELA, resulting in the inhibition of endothelial cell proliferation, migration and re-endothelialization of injured arteries. Negatively regulates virus-triggered type I interferon/IFN production by inducing proteosome-dependent degradation of IRF7, a transcriptional regulator of type I IFN, thereby interfering with cellular antiviral responses. Beside its role as an intracellular signaling pathway regulator, also functions extracellularly as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) to promote inflammation, when actively released by macrophage to the extracellular space during cell injury or pathogen invasion. Macrophage-secreted NMI activates NF-kappa-B signaling in adjacent macrophages through Toll-like receptor 4/TLR4 binding and activation, thereby inducing NF-kappa-B translocation from the cytoplasm into the nucleus which promotes the release of proinflammatory cytokines.

1. Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMP) are important mediators of innate immunity. Here the authors show that N-myc and STAT interactor (NMI) and interferon-induced protein 35 (IFP35) act as DAMPs to promote inflammation by activating macrophages via the Toll-like receptor 4 and NF-kappaB pathways. PMID: 29038465

Cytoplasm. Nucleus. Secreted.

NMI family

Expressed in macrophages.

KEGG: mmu:64685

STRING: 10090.ENSMUSP00000028314

UniGene: Mm.7491