IL-28, IL-29 and their class II cytokine receptor IL-28R

  • Nat Immunol. 2003 Jan;4(1):63-8. doi: 10.1038/ni873.
Paul Sheppard  1 ,  Wayne Kindsvogel ,  Wenfeng Xu ,  Katherine Henderson ,  Stacy Schlutsmeyer ,  Theodore E Whitmore ,  Rolf Kuestner ,  Ursula Garrigues ,  Carl Birks ,  Jenny Roraback ,  Craig Ostrander ,  Dennis Dong ,  Jinu Shin ,  Scott Presnell ,  Brian Fox ,  Betty Haldeman ,  Emily Cooper ,  David Taft ,  Teresa Gilbert ,  Francis J Grant ,  Monica Tackett ,  William Krivan ,  Gary McKnight ,  Chris Clegg ,  Don Foster ,  Kevin M Klucher
Affiliations
  • 1. ZymoGenetics, Inc., 1201 Eastlake Avenue E., Seattle, WA 98102, USA.
PMID: 12469119 DOI: 10.1038/ni873
Abstract

Cytokines play a critical role in modulating the innate and adaptive immune systems. Here, we have identified from the human genomic sequence a family of three cytokines, designated interleukin 28A (IL-28A), IL-28B and IL-29, that are distantly related to type I interferons (IFNs) and the IL-10 family. We found that like type I IFNs, IL-28 and IL-29 were induced by Viral Infection and showed Antiviral activity. However, IL-28 and IL-29 interacted with a heterodimeric class II cytokine receptor that consisted of IL-10 Receptor beta (IL-10Rbeta) and an orphan class II receptor chain, designated IL-28Ralpha. This newly described cytokine family may serve as an alternative to type I IFNs in providing immunity to Viral Infection.