Home IL-6 Type Cytokine Receptor Complexes: Hexamer, Tetramer or Both?
Article
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

IL-6 Type Cytokine Receptor Complexes: Hexamer, Tetramer or Both?

  • J. Grötzinger , T. Kernebeck , K.-J. Kallen and S. Rose-John
Published/Copyright: June 1, 2005
Biological Chemistry
From the journal Volume 380 Issue 7-8

Abstract

The typical protein fold of most cytokines is a bundle of four antiparallel helices. This ‘four-helical bundle fold’ seems to be unique to cytokines and has not been detected in other proteins. Cytokine receptors, however, can be classified as a subfamily of the immunoglobulin superfamily. Cytokines using the same receptor subunits are grouped into cytokine families. The interleukin-6 (IL-6) type cytokine family comprises six members. IL-6 type cytokines may interact with three receptor subunits instead of the usual two subunits. A tetramer would be the simplest model to describe such a receptor complex, but present orthodoxy describes the active complexes of IL-6 and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) as hexamers. Here, we summarize the structural and biochemical information on IL-6 type cytokines and discuss interactions between cytokine and individual receptor subunits at alternative positions. Contradictory results regarding the stoichiometry and assembly of signaling receptor complexes are rationalized by a new, unique model. The model stipulates that a ligand-induced transition from an active tetrameric to an inactive hexameric complex serves as a molecular switch that turns off cytokine signals in the presence of supraoptimal cytokine concentrations.

:
Published Online: 2005-06-01
Published in Print: 1999-07-01

Copyright © 1999 by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Paul Nurse Felix Hoppe-Seyler Lecturer 1999
  2. Cyclin Dependent Kinases and Regulation of the Fission Yeast Cell Cycle
  3. Paper of the Year 1998
  4. Autonomous Regulation in Mammalian Mitochondrial DNA Transcription
  5. Prospects for the Precise Engineering of Plant Genomes by Homologous Recombination
  6. The Glycosphingolipidoses from Disease to Basic Principles of Metabolism
  7. The Dual Role of Lipopolysaccharide as Effector and Target Molecule
  8. A Unified Mechanism of Enzymatic Synthesis of Two Calcium Messengers: Cyclic ADP-Ribose and NAADP
  9. The Tranquilizing Injection of Yersinia Proteins: A Pathogens Strategy to Resist Host Defense
  10. IL-6 Type Cytokine Receptor Complexes: Hexamer, Tetramer or Both?
  11. Genetically Engineered and Synthetic Allergen Derivatives: Candidates for Vaccination against Type I Allergy
  12. Molecular Farming of Recombinant Antibodies in Plants
  13. Chimeric Restriction Enzymes: What Is Next?
  14. Viroids with Hammerhead Ribozymes: Some Unique Structural and Functional Aspects with Respect to Other Members of the Group
  15. Mutagenesis via Insertional or Restriction Enzyme-Mediated Integration (REMI) as a Tool to Tag Pathogenicity Related Genes in Plant Pathogenic Fungi
  16. Role of Mitochondria in Parkinson Disease
  17. Mitochondria Harbouring Mutant mtDNA a Cuckoo in the Nest?
  18. Mutant p53: Gain-of-Function Oncoproteins and Wild-Type p53 Inactivators
  19. The Role of Chemokines in Cutaneous Allergic Inflammation
  20. Mutations of Calcium Channel beta Subunit Genes in Mice
  21. Agonist-Stimulated Pathways of Calcium Signaling in Pancreatic Acinar Cells
  22. Some of the Early Events Underlying Th2. Cell Maturation and Susceptibility to Leishmania major Infection in BALB/c Mice
  23. Universal and Unique Features of Kinesin Motors: Insights from a Comparison of Fungal and Animal Conventional Kinesins
  24. Elementary Steps in Protein Folding
  25. Molecular Reaction Mechanisms of Proteins Monitored by Time-Resolved FTIR-Spectroscopy
  26. Sugars as Signal Molecules in Plant Seed Development
  27. Diphosphoinositol Polyphosphates: The Final Frontier for Inositide Research?
  28. A Role of Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase in NF- B Transcriptional Activation
  29. Processing of Artificial Peptide-DNA-Conjugates by the Mitochondrial Intermediate Peptidase (MIP)
  30. The Two SH2-Domain-Containing Inositol 5-Phosphatases SHIP1 and SHIP2 Are Coexpressed in Human T Lymphocytes
  31. Differential Distribution of Four Hyperpolarization-Activated Cation Channels in Mouse Brain
  32. The Structure of the Nucleotide-Binding Site of Kinesin
  33. Atomic Resolution Crystal Structure of Hydroxynitrile Lyase from <I>Hevea brasiliensis</I>
  34. Comparative Modeling of Amoebapores and Granulysin Based on the NK-Lysin Structure Structural and Functional Implications
  35. A Nonspecific, Single-Stranded Nuclease Activity with Characteristics of a Topoisomerase Found in a Major Grass Pollen Allergen: Possible Biological Significance
  36. Functional Characterisation of Dictyostelium Myosin II with Conserved Tryptophanyl Residue 501 Mutated to Tyrosine
  37. Mitochondrial Nitric Oxide Synthase Regulates Mitochondrial Matrix pH
  38. Directed Evolution of an Esterase from Pseudomonas fluorescens. Random Mutagenesis by Error-Prone PCR or a Mutator Strain and Identification of Mutants Showing Enhanced Enantioselectivity by a Resorufin-Based Fluorescence Assay
https://doi.org/10.1515/BC.1999.100

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Paul Nurse Felix Hoppe-Seyler Lecturer 1999
  2. Cyclin Dependent Kinases and Regulation of the Fission Yeast Cell Cycle
  3. Paper of the Year 1998
  4. Autonomous Regulation in Mammalian Mitochondrial DNA Transcription
  5. Prospects for the Precise Engineering of Plant Genomes by Homologous Recombination
  6. The Glycosphingolipidoses from Disease to Basic Principles of Metabolism
  7. The Dual Role of Lipopolysaccharide as Effector and Target Molecule
  8. A Unified Mechanism of Enzymatic Synthesis of Two Calcium Messengers: Cyclic ADP-Ribose and NAADP
  9. The Tranquilizing Injection of Yersinia Proteins: A Pathogens Strategy to Resist Host Defense
  10. IL-6 Type Cytokine Receptor Complexes: Hexamer, Tetramer or Both?
  11. Genetically Engineered and Synthetic Allergen Derivatives: Candidates for Vaccination against Type I Allergy
  12. Molecular Farming of Recombinant Antibodies in Plants
  13. Chimeric Restriction Enzymes: What Is Next?
  14. Viroids with Hammerhead Ribozymes: Some Unique Structural and Functional Aspects with Respect to Other Members of the Group
  15. Mutagenesis via Insertional or Restriction Enzyme-Mediated Integration (REMI) as a Tool to Tag Pathogenicity Related Genes in Plant Pathogenic Fungi
  16. Role of Mitochondria in Parkinson Disease
  17. Mitochondria Harbouring Mutant mtDNA a Cuckoo in the Nest?
  18. Mutant p53: Gain-of-Function Oncoproteins and Wild-Type p53 Inactivators
  19. The Role of Chemokines in Cutaneous Allergic Inflammation
  20. Mutations of Calcium Channel beta Subunit Genes in Mice
  21. Agonist-Stimulated Pathways of Calcium Signaling in Pancreatic Acinar Cells
  22. Some of the Early Events Underlying Th2. Cell Maturation and Susceptibility to Leishmania major Infection in BALB/c Mice
  23. Universal and Unique Features of Kinesin Motors: Insights from a Comparison of Fungal and Animal Conventional Kinesins
  24. Elementary Steps in Protein Folding
  25. Molecular Reaction Mechanisms of Proteins Monitored by Time-Resolved FTIR-Spectroscopy
  26. Sugars as Signal Molecules in Plant Seed Development
  27. Diphosphoinositol Polyphosphates: The Final Frontier for Inositide Research?
  28. A Role of Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase in NF- B Transcriptional Activation
  29. Processing of Artificial Peptide-DNA-Conjugates by the Mitochondrial Intermediate Peptidase (MIP)
  30. The Two SH2-Domain-Containing Inositol 5-Phosphatases SHIP1 and SHIP2 Are Coexpressed in Human T Lymphocytes
  31. Differential Distribution of Four Hyperpolarization-Activated Cation Channels in Mouse Brain
  32. The Structure of the Nucleotide-Binding Site of Kinesin
  33. Atomic Resolution Crystal Structure of Hydroxynitrile Lyase from <I>Hevea brasiliensis</I>
  34. Comparative Modeling of Amoebapores and Granulysin Based on the NK-Lysin Structure Structural and Functional Implications
  35. A Nonspecific, Single-Stranded Nuclease Activity with Characteristics of a Topoisomerase Found in a Major Grass Pollen Allergen: Possible Biological Significance
  36. Functional Characterisation of Dictyostelium Myosin II with Conserved Tryptophanyl Residue 501 Mutated to Tyrosine
  37. Mitochondrial Nitric Oxide Synthase Regulates Mitochondrial Matrix pH
  38. Directed Evolution of an Esterase from Pseudomonas fluorescens. Random Mutagenesis by Error-Prone PCR or a Mutator Strain and Identification of Mutants Showing Enhanced Enantioselectivity by a Resorufin-Based Fluorescence Assay
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 9.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/BC.1999.100/html
Scroll to top button