title: IL-6 cytokine family and signal transduction: a model of the cytokine system.
abstract: The interleukin 6 (IL-6) cytokine family, which includes IL-6, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), oncostatin M (OSM), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), IL-11 and cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1), exhibits pleiotropy and redundancy in biological activities. The IL-6 family cytokines exhibit a helical structure. Their receptors belong to the type 1 cytokine receptor family. The receptors of the IL-6 family cytokines share a receptor subunit, which explains one of the mechanisms of functional redundancy. In this review, we describe the general features of the IL-6 cytokine family and its signal transduction mechanisms. Many functional properties of the IL-6 family of cytokines and their receptors are general features of the cytokine system.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Center, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hibi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirano
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D050822:Cytokine Receptor gp130; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000276:immunology*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000276:immunology; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin / Q000276:immunology; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology*; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; C494199:IL6ST protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6; D050822:Cytokine Receptor gp130; D004247:DNA; D011494:Protein Kinases; D018631:ras Proteins