Interleukin 16 Explained

Interleukin 16 is a pro-inflammatory pleiotropic cytokine. Its precursor, pro-interleukin-16 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the IL16 gene.[1] [2] This gene was discovered in 1982 at Boston University by Dr. David Center and Dr. William Cruikshank.[3]

Function

The cytokine encoded by this gene is a pleiotropic cytokine that functions as a chemoattractant, a modulator of T cell activation, and an inhibitor of HIV replication. The signaling process of this cytokine is mediated by CD4. The product of this gene undergoes proteolytic processing, which is found to yield two functional proteins. The cytokine function is exclusively attributed to the secreted C-terminal peptide, while the N-terminal product may play a role in cell cycle control. Caspase 3 is reported to be involved in the proteolytic processing of this protein. Two alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms have been reported.[2] Interleukin 16 (IL-16) is released by a variety of cells (including lymphocytes and some epithelial cells) that has been characterized as a chemoattractant for certain immune cells expressing the cell surface molecule CD4. IL-16 was originally described as a factor that could attract activated T cells in humans, it was previously called lymphocyte chemoattractant factor (LCF).[3] Since then, this interleukin has been shown to recruit and activate many other cells expressing the CD4 molecule, including monocytes, eosinophils, and dendritic cells.[4]

The structure of IL-16 was determined following its cloning in 1994.[5] This cytokine is produced as a precursor peptide (pro-IL-16) that requires processing by an enzyme called caspase-3 to become active. CD4 is the cell signaling receptor for mature IL-16.

Interactions

Interleukin 16 has been shown to interact with:

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Baier M, Bannert N, Werner A, Lang K, Kurth R . Molecular cloning, sequence, expression, and processing of the interleukin 16 precursor . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 94 . 10 . 5273–5277 . May 1997 . 9144227 . 24668 . 10.1073/pnas.94.10.5273 . 1997PNAS...94.5273B . free .
  2. Web site: Entrez Gene: IL16 interleukin 16 (lymphocyte chemoattractant factor) .
  3. Cruikshank W, Center DM . Modulation of lymphocyte migration by human lymphokines. II. Purification of a lymphotactic factor (LCF) . Journal of Immunology . 128 . 6 . 2569–2574 . June 1982 . 10.4049/jimmunol.128.6.2569 . 7042841 . 33890529 . free .
  4. Cruikshank WW, Kornfeld H, Center DM . Interleukin-16 . Journal of Leukocyte Biology . 67 . 6 . 757–766 . June 2000 . 10857846 . 10.1002/jlb.67.6.757 . free .
  5. Cruikshank WW, Center DM, Nisar N, Wu M, Natke B, Theodore AC, Kornfeld H . Molecular and functional analysis of a lymphocyte chemoattractant factor: association of biologic function with CD4 expression . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 91 . 11 . 5109–5113 . May 1994 . 7910967 . 43941 . 10.1073/pnas.91.11.5109 . 1994PNAS...91.5109C . free .
  6. Kurschner C, Yuzaki M . Neuronal interleukin-16 (NIL-16): a dual function PDZ domain protein . The Journal of Neuroscience . 19 . 18 . 7770–7780 . September 1999 . 10479680 . 6782450 . 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.19-18-07770.1999 .
  7. Bannert N, Vollhardt K, Asomuddinov B, Haag M, König H, Norley S, Kurth R . PDZ Domain-mediated interaction of interleukin-16 precursor proteins with myosin phosphatase targeting subunits . The Journal of Biological Chemistry . 278 . 43 . 42190–42199 . October 2003 . 12923170 . 10.1074/jbc.M306669200 . free .

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