title: Molecular interactions within the IL-6/IL-12 cytokine/receptor superfamily.
abstract: Production of cytokines by immune cells in response to stimuli and the binding of cytokines to specific receptors on target cells is a central feature of the immune response. The IL-12 cytokine family is particularly influential in determining the fate of T cells and is characterized by the sharing of cytokine and receptor subunits. A thorough understanding of the molecular interactions within this family will be a key to the development of therapeutic inhibitors or enhancers of IL-12 family function. While the current structural and molecular data for IL-12 family members is limited, there is ample information on the structurally related IL-6 cytokine family. This review will summarize the current structural and mutagenesis data within the IL-12 family and will attempt to utilize similarities between the IL-6 and IL-12 families to understand molecular interactions between IL-12 family subunits and with receptor components.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
authors.forename: Lindsay L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Dario A A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Vignali
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D016296:Mutagenesis; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D053707:Receptors, Interleukin-12 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D053707:Receptors, Interleukin-12; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6