IFNG and infection: ROP16 phosphorylates host STAT3 and STAT6 transcription factors, altering cytokine profiles and repressing interleukin (IL) 12 signaling necessary for interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) production, which is crucial for the host's survival during infection (Yamamoto et al. 2009, Ong et al. 2010, Hernández-de-los-Ríos et al. 2019).