IL6

Interleukin-6 homologues
IL6
SMART accession number:SM00126
Description: Family includes granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and myelomonocytic growth factor (MGF). IL-6 is also known as B-cell stimulatory factor 2.
Interpro abstract (IPR030474):

Interleukin-6 (IL6), also refered to as B-cell stimulatory factor-2 (BSF-2) and interferon beta-2, is a cytokine involved in a wide variety of biological functions [ (PUBMED:3491322) ]. 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 [ (PUBMED:3491322) (PUBMED:2037043) ].

A number of other cytokines may be grouped with IL6 on the basis of sequence similarity [ (PUBMED:3491322) (PUBMED:2037043) (PUBMED:2472117) ]: these include granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) and myelomonocytic growth factor (MGF). GCSF acts in hematopoiesis by affecting the production, differentiation and function of 2 related white cell groups in the blood [ (PUBMED:2472117) ]. MGF also acts in hematopoiesis, stimulating proliferation and colony formation of normal and transformed avian cells of the myeloid lineage.

GO process:immune response (GO:0006955)
GO component:extracellular region (GO:0005576)
GO function:cytokine activity (GO:0005125)
Family alignment:
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There are 531 IL6 domains in 530 proteins in SMART's nrdb database.

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