{PDOC00227}
{PS00254; INTERLEUKIN_6}
{BEGIN}
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* Interleukin-6 / G-CSF / MGF family signature *
************************************************

The following cytokines  can  be grouped  into a single family on the basis of
sequence similarities.

 - Interleukin-6 (IL-6) [1] (also known as B-cell stimulatory factor 2 (BSF-2)
   or interferon beta-2) is a cytokine that has a wide variety  of  biological
   functions.  It  plays  an essential role in the final differentiation of B-
   cells into  IG-secreting    cells, as well as inducing myeloma/plasmacytoma
   growth, nerve    cell  differentiation  and,  in   hepatocytes, acute phase
   reactants.
 - Granulocyte  colony-stimulating  factor (G-CSF) [2] belongs to the cytokine
   family whose  members  regulate   hematopoietic   cell   proliferation  and
   differentiation. G-CSF  exclusively  stimulates  the  colony  formation  of
   granulocytes.
 - Myelomonocytic growth factor (MGF) [3]  is  an  avian  hematopoeitic growth
   factor that stimulates the proliferation and colony formation of normal and
   transformed avian cells of the myeloid lineage.

These cytokines are glycoproteins of about 170 to 180 amino acid residues that
contains four conserved cysteine residues involved in two disulfide bonds [4],
as shown in the following schematic representation.

                       +--+     +---+
                       |  |     |   |
            xxxxxxxxxxxCxxCxxxxxCxxxCxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
                                **********

'C': conserved cysteine involved in a disulfide bond.
'*': position of the pattern.

The pattern  developed  for  this  family  of  proteins  includes the last two
cysteines as well as other conserved residues.

-Consensus pattern: C-x(9)-C-x(6)-G-L-x(2)-[FY]-x(3)-L
                    [The 2 C's are involved in disulfide bonds]
-Sequences known to belong to this class detected by the pattern: ALL.
-Other sequence(s) detected in Swiss-Prot: NONE.

-Note: It has been said [5] that this family can be extended by the adjunction
 of LIF  and  OSM  (see  the relevant entry <PDOC00509>) but,  while all these
 cytokines seem to be structurally related,  the  sequence  similarity  is not
 high enough to allow the use of only one single consensus pattern.

-Expert(s) to contact by email:
           Rose-John S.; rose@mzdmza.zdv.uni-mainz.de

-Last update: May 2004 / Text revised.

[ 1] Kishimoto T., Hirano T.
     "A new interleukin with pleiotropic activities."
     BioEssays 9:11-15(1988).
     PubMed=3063260
[ 2] Metcalf D.
     "The granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factors."
     Science 229:16-22(1985).
     PubMed=2990035
[ 3] Leutz A., Damm K., Sterneck E., Kowenz E., Ness S., Frank R.,
     Gausepohl H., Pan Y.-C.E., Smart J., Hayman M., Graf T.
     "Molecular cloning of the chicken myelomonocytic growth factor (cMGF)
     reveals relationship to interleukin 6 and granulocyte colony
     stimulating factor."
     EMBO J. 8:175-181(1989).
     PubMed=2785450
[ 4] Clogston C.L., Boone T.C., Crandall B.C., Mendiaz E.A., Lu H.S.
     "Disulfide structures of human interleukin-6 are similar to those of
     human granulocyte colony stimulating factor."
     Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 272:144-151(1989).
     PubMed=2472117
[ 5] Rose T.M., Bruce A.G.
     "Oncostatin M is a member of a cytokine family that includes
     leukemia-inhibitory factor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and
     interleukin 6."
     Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88:8641-8645(1991).
     PubMed=1717982

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