INTERLEUKIN-6 (IL-6)

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IL-6 is a cytokine with a wide variety of biological functions: it plays an essential role in the final differentiation of B-cells into Ig-secreting cells it induces myeloma and plasmacytoma growth it induces nerve cells differentiation in hepatocytes it induces acute phase reactants.

N- and O-glycosylated.

Belongs to the IL-6 superfamily. [1] Chen Q. Y. et al. Stable and efficient expression of human interleukin-6 cDNA in mammalian cells after gene transfer[2] Hirano T. Yasukawa K. Harada H. Taga T. Watanabe Y. Matsuda T. Kashiwamura S. Nakajima K. Koyama K. Iwamatsu A. et al. Complementary DNA for a novel human interleukin (BSF-2) that induces B lymphocytes to produce immunoglobulin. [3] Yasukawa K. Hirano T. Watanabe Y. Muratani K. Matsuda T. Nakai S. Kishimoto T. Structure and expression of human B cell stimulatory factor-2 (BSF-2/IL-6) gene. [4] May L. T. Helfgott D. C. Sehgal P. B. Anti-beta-interferon antibodies inhibit the increased expression of HLA-B7 mRNA in tumor necrosis factor-treated human fibroblasts: structural studies of the beta 2 interferon involved. [5] Zilberstein A. Ruggieri R. Korn J. H. Revel M. Structure and expression of cDNA and genes for human interferon-beta-2 a distinct species inducible by growth-stimulatory cytokines. [6] Brakenhoff J. P. J. de Groot E. R. Evers R. F. Pannekoek H. Aarden L. A. Molecular cloning and expression of hybridoma growth factor in Escherichia coli. [7] Tonouchi N. Miwa K. Karasuyama H. Matsui H. Deletion of 3\' untranslated region of human BSF-2 mRNA causes stabilization of the mRNA and high-level expression in mouse NIH3T3 cells. [8] Haegeman G. Content J. Volckaert G. Derynck R. Tavernier J. Fiers W. Structural analysis of the sequence coding for an inducible 26-kDa protein in human fibroblasts. [9] Wong G. Witek-Giannotti J. Hewick R. Clark S. Ogawa M. Interleukin 6: identification as a hematopoietic colony-stimulating factor. [10] Chen Q. Y. Stable and efficient expression of human interleukin-6 cDNA in mammalian cells after gene transfer.