Open AccessCytokine receptors: structure and signal transduction
Author(s) -
FOXWELL B. M. J.,
BARRETT K.,
FELDMANN M.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1992.tb07922.x
Subject(s) - receptor , janus kinase 1 , biology , common gamma chain , cytokine receptor , cytokine , signal transduction , glycoprotein 130 , microbiology and biotechnology , interleukin 21 receptor , interleukin 3 receptor , immunology , immune receptor , genetics , janus kinase , interleukin 6
SUMMARY In the past 2–3 years, a number of cytokine receptors have been partly characterized and the cDNA for the ligand binding chains cloned. This has revealed that cytokine receptors are complex. Many are known to be multichain receptors (e.g. IL‐2) and since their mechanism of signal transduction is not obvious, it is likely that other proteins yet to be defined take part in the signalling process. The cloning of the receptor ligand binding chain has revealed that (unlike cytokines), there are major families of receptors. Some are members of the Ig supergene family (e.g. IL‐1 receptor), others are members of the nerve growth factor receptor family (e.g. TNF), but the majority are members of the haematopoietic growth factor family (e.g. IL‐3, GM‐CSF). Yet other cytokine receptors do not belong to a family, e.g. IFN‐γ.