Recombinant Mouse IL-2, Tag Free

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a O-glycosylated four alpha -helix bundle cytokine that has potent stimulatory activity for antigen-activated T cells. It is expressed by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, gamma δ T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, and eosinophils ^[1-3]. Mature mouse IL-2 shares 56% and 73% aa sequence identity with human and rat IL-2, respectively. It shows strain-specific heterogeneity in an N-terminal region that contains a poly-glutamine stretch ^[4]. Mouse and human IL-2 exhibit cross-species activity ^[5]. The receptor for IL-2 consists of three subunits that are present on the cell surface in varying preformed complexes ^[6-8]. The 55 kDa IL-2 R alpha is specific for IL-2 and binds with low affinity. The 75 kDa IL-2 R beta, which is also a component of the IL-15 receptor, binds IL-2 with intermediate affinity. The 64 kDa common gamma chain gamma c/IL-2 R gamma, which is shared with the receptors for IL-4, -7, -9, -15, and -21, does not independently interact with IL-2. Upon ligand binding, signal transduction is performed by both IL-2 R beta and gamma c. IL-2 is best known for its autocrine and paracrine activity on T cells. It drives resting T cells to proliferate and induces IL-2 and IL-2 R alpha synthesis ^{[1, 2]}. It contributes to T cell homeostasis by promoting the Fas-induced death of native CD4+ T cells but not activated CD4+ memory lymphocytes ^[9]. IL-2 plays a central role in the expansion and maintenance of regulatory T cells, although it inhibits the development of Th17 polarized cells ^[10-12]. Thus, IL-2 may be a key cytokine in the natural suppression of autoimmunity ^{[13, 14]}.

Reference

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[8]. Bodnar, A. et al. (2008) Immunol. Lett. 116:117.

[9]. Jaleco, S. et al. (2003) J. Immunol. 171:61.

[10]. Malek, T.R. (2003) J. Leukoc. Biol. 74:961.

[11]. Laurence, A. et al. (2007) Immunity 26:371.

[12]. Kryczek, I. et al. (2007) J. Immunol. 178:6730.

[13]. Afzali, B. et al. (2007) Clin. Exp. Immunol. 148:32.

[14]. Fehervari, Z. et al. (2006) Trends Immunol. 27:109.