Structural highlights
Disease
IL4_HUMAN Genetic variations in IL4 may be a cause of susceptibility to ischemic stroke (ISCHSTR) [MIM:601367; also known as cerebrovascular accident or cerebral infarction. A stroke is an acute neurologic event leading to death of neural tissue of the brain and resulting in loss of motor, sensory and/or cognitive function. Ischemic strokes, resulting from vascular occlusion, is considered to be a highly complex disease consisting of a group of heterogeneous disorders with multiple genetic and environmental risk factors.[1]
Function
IL4_HUMAN Participates in at least several B-cell activation processes as well as of other cell types. It is a costimulator of DNA-synthesis. It induces the expression of class II MHC molecules on resting B-cells. It enhances both secretion and cell surface expression of IgE and IgG1. It also regulates the expression of the low affinity Fc receptor for IgE (CD23) on both lymphocytes and monocytes.
Publication Abstract from PubMed
Cytokines dimerize their receptors, with the binding of the 'second chain' triggering signaling. In the interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 system, different cell types express varying numbers of alternative second receptor chains (gammac or IL-13Ralpha1), forming functionally distinct type I or type II complexes. We manipulated the affinity and specificity of second chain recruitment by human IL-4. A type I receptor-selective IL-4 'superkine' with 3,700-fold higher affinity for gammac was three- to ten-fold more potent than wild-type IL-4. Conversely, a variant with high affinity for IL-13Ralpha1 more potently activated cells expressing the type II receptor and induced differentiation of dendritic cells from monocytes, implicating the type II receptor in this process. Superkines showed signaling advantages on cells with lower second chain numbers. Comparative transcriptional analysis reveals that the superkines induce largely redundant gene expression profiles. Variable second chain numbers can be exploited to redirect cytokines toward distinct cell subsets and elicit new actions, potentially improving the selectivity of cytokine therapy.
Redirecting cell-type specific cytokine responses with engineered interleukin-4 superkines.,Junttila IS, Creusot RJ, Moraga I, Bates DL, Wong MT, Alonso MN, Suhoski MM, Lupardus P, Meier-Schellersheim M, Engleman EG, Utz PJ, Fathman CG, Paul WE, Garcia KC Nat Chem Biol. 2012 Oct 28. doi: 10.1038/nchembio.1096. PMID:23103943[2]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
See Also
References
- ↑ Zee RY, Cook NR, Cheng S, Reynolds R, Erlich HA, Lindpaintner K, Ridker PM. Polymorphism in the P-selectin and interleukin-4 genes as determinants of stroke: a population-based, prospective genetic analysis. Hum Mol Genet. 2004 Feb 15;13(4):389-96. Epub 2003 Dec 17. PMID:14681304 doi:10.1093/hmg/ddh039
- ↑ Junttila IS, Creusot RJ, Moraga I, Bates DL, Wong MT, Alonso MN, Suhoski MM, Lupardus P, Meier-Schellersheim M, Engleman EG, Utz PJ, Fathman CG, Paul WE, Garcia KC. Redirecting cell-type specific cytokine responses with engineered interleukin-4 superkines. Nat Chem Biol. 2012 Oct 28. doi: 10.1038/nchembio.1096. PMID:23103943 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.1096
