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Concept
Interleukin 2
Summary
Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is an interleukin, a type of cytokine signaling molecule in the immune system. It is a 15.5–16 kDa protein that regulates the activities of white blood cells (leukocytes, often lymphocytes) that are responsible for immunity. IL-2 is part of the body's natural response to microbial infection, and in discriminating between foreign ("non-self") and "self". IL-2 mediates its effects by binding to IL-2 receptors, which are expressed by lymphocytes. The major sources of IL-2 are activated CD4+ T cells and activated CD8+ T cells. Put shortly the function of IL-2 is to stimulate the growth of helper, cytotoxic and regulatory T cells.
IL-2 is a member of a cytokine family, each member of which has a four alpha helix bundle; the family also includes IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-15 and IL-21. IL-2 signals through the IL-2 receptor, a complex consisting of three chains, termed alpha (CD25), beta (CD122) and gamma (CD132). The gamma chain is shared by all family members.
The IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) α subunit binds IL-2 with low affinity (Kd~ 10−8 M). Interaction of IL-2 and CD25 alone does not lead to signal transduction due to its short intracellular chain but has the ability (when bound to the β and γ subunit) to increase the IL-2R affinity 100-fold. Heterodimerization of the β and γ subunits of IL-2R is essential for signalling in T cells. IL-2 can signalize either via intermediate-affinity dimeric CD122/CD132 IL-2R (Kd~ 10−9 M) or high-affinity trimeric CD25/CD122/CD132 IL-2R (Kd~ 10−11 M). Dimeric IL-2R is expressed by memory CD8+ T cells and NK cells, whereas regulatory T cells and activated T cells express high levels of trimeric IL-2R.
Instructions to express proteins in response to an IL-2 signal (called IL-2 transduction) can take place via 3 different signaling pathways; they are: (1) the JAK-STAT pathway, (2) the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and (3) the MAPK/ERK pathway. The signalling is commenced by IL-2 binding to its receptor, following which cytoplasmatic domains of CD122 and CD132 heterodimerize.
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Ontological neighbourhood
Related publications (55)
Related units (2)
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White blood cell
White blood cells, also called leukocytes or leucocytes, are cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders. White blood cells include three main subtypes; granulocytes, lymphocytes and monocytes. White cells is most preferred rather than the, white blood cells, because, they spend most of their time in the lymph or plasma. All white blood cells are produced and derived from multipotent cells in the bone marrow known as hematopoietic stem cells.
Interleukin-1 family
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Immunotherapy
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