Recombinant Mouse IL-21, Tag Free

Interleukin-21(IL-21) is an approximately 14 kDa four-helix-bundle cytokine in the family of cytokines that utilize the common gamma chain as a receptor subunit. gamma c is also a subunit of the receptors for IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, and IL-15 ^[1]. IL-21 is produced by activated T follicular helper cells (Tfh), Th17 cells, and NKT cells ^[2-6]. It exerts its biological effects through a heterodimeric receptor complex of gamma c and the IL-21-specific IL-21 R ^{[2, 7]}. Tfh-derived IL-21 plays an important role in the development of humoral immunity through its autocrine effects on the Tfh cell and paracrine effects on immunoglobulin affinity maturation, plasma cell differentiation, and B cell memory responses ^{[4, 8, 9]}. It is also required for the migration of dendritic cells to draining lymph nodes ^[10]. IL-21 regulates several aspects of T cell function. It co-stimulates the activation, proliferation, and survival of CD8+ T cells and NKT cells and promotes Th17 cell polarization ^{[3, 5, 6, 11, 12]}. It blocks the generation of regulatory T cells and their suppressive effects on CD4+ T cells ^{[13, 14]}. IL-21 R engagement enhances the cytolytic activity and IFN-gamma production of activated NK cells but limits the expansion of resting NK cells ^[15]. IL-21 suppresses cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions by limiting allergen-specific IgE production and mast cell degranulation ^[16]. Dysregulation of the IL-21/IL-21 R system contributes to the development of multiple immunological disorders ^{[1, 17]}.

Reference

[1].Leonard, W.J. et al. (2008) J. Leukoc. Biol. 84:348.

[2]. Parrish-Novak, et al. (2000) Nature 408:57.

[3]. Coquet, J.M. et al. (2007) J. Immunol. 178:2827.

[4]. Vogelzang, A. et al. (2008) Immunity 29:127.

[5]. Korn, T. et al. (2007) Nature 448:484.

[6]. Nurieva, R. et al. (2007) Nature 448:480.

[7]. Asao, H. et al. (2001) J. Immunol. 167:1.

[8]. Zotos, D. et al. (2010) J. Exp. Med. 207:365.

[9]. Rankin, A.L. et al. (2011) J. Immunol. 186:667.

[10]. Jin, H. et al. (2009) J. Clin. Invest. 119:47.

[11]. Frohlich, A. et al. (2009) Science 324:1576.

[12]. Yi, J.S., et al. (2009) Science 324:1572.

[13]. Peluso, I. et al. (2007) J. Immunol. 178:732.

[14]. Bucher, C. et al. (2009) Blood 114:5375.

[15]. Kasaian, M.T. et al. (2002) Immunity 16:559.

[16]. Tamagawa-Mineoka, R. et al. (2011) J. Invest. Dermatol. 131:1513.

[17]. Ma, J. et al. (2011) Cytokine 56:133.