Interleukin-12 subunit alpha (IL-12 p35) is a
protein that in humans is encoded by the ''IL12A''
gene.
Function
This gene encodes a subunit of the
cytokine Interleukin 12 (IL-12) that acts on
T and
natural killer cell
Natural killer cells, also known as NK cells or large granular lymphocytes (LGL), are a type of cytotoxic lymphocyte critical to the innate immune system that belong to the rapidly expanding family of known innate lymphoid cells (ILC) and repres ...
s, and has a broad array of biological activities. The cytokine is a disulfide-linked
heterodimer
In biochemistry, a protein dimer is a macromolecular complex formed by two protein monomers, or single proteins, which are usually non-covalently bound. Many macromolecules, such as proteins or nucleic acids, form dimers. The word ''dimer'' has ...
composed of the 35-kD subunit encoded by this gene, and a 40-kD subunit that is a member of the cytokine receptor family. This cytokine is required for the T-cell-dependent induction of
interferon gamma (IFN-γ), and is important for the differentiation of both
Th1 and
Th2 cells. The responses of
lymphocytes to this cytokine are mediated by the activator of transcription protein
STAT4. Nitric oxide synthase 2A (
NOS2A
Nitric oxide synthase, inducible is an enzyme which is encoded by the ''NOS2'' gene in humans and mice.
Genetics
Three related pseudogenes are located within the Smith-Magenis syndrome region on chromosome 17. Alternative splicing of this gene r ...
/NOS2) is found to be required for the signaling process of this cytokine in
innate immunity.
References
Further reading
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