Interleukin-6 signal transduction and lymphocyte function.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine that acts on a wide variety of cell types. It has important regulatory functions in the immune system, is a mediator of the acute-phase response, and is involved in the regulation of differentiation, proliferation, and survival of target cells. A major signal transduction pathway for IL-6 involves activation of JAK kinases and the transcription factor Stat3. In addition, a great many of other signalling pathways are induced. Stat3 has been shown to be a central player of IL-6 signalling in many systems whereas the functions of most other IL-6-activated pathways are not yet understood. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge on IL-6 functions in the immune system, IL-6 signal transduction, and its significance for lymphocyte function.
Horn
F
F
Institute of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, University of Leipzig, Germany. fhorn@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Henze
C
C
Heidrich
K
K
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000276:immunology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000276:immunology*; D053613:Janus Kinase 1; D053614:Janus Kinase 2; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000276:immunology*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6 / Q000276:immunology; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000276:immunology*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human; D015534:Trans-Activators; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C507904:JAK1 protein, human; C507924:JAK2 protein, human; D053613:Janus Kinase 1; D053614:Janus Kinase 2