NCBI Summary:
The protein encoded by this gene is a secreted cytokine that is important for the proliferation of T and B lymphocytes. The receptor of this cytokine is a heterotrimeric protein complex whose gamma chain is also shared by interleukin 4 (IL4) and interleukin 7 (IL7). The expression of this gene in mature thymocytes is monoallelic, which represents an unusual regulatory mode for controlling the precise expression of a single gene. The targeted disruption of a similar gene in mice leads to ulcerative colitis-like disease, which suggests an essential role of this gene in the immune response to antigenic stimuli. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]
General function
Ligand, Cytokine, Anti-apoptotic
Comment
Cellular localization
Secreted
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Differential Expression Profile of Immunological Cytokines in Local Ovary in Patients with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: analysis by Flow Cytometry. Qin L et al. (2016) Immune dysregulation may play an important role in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The purpose of this study was to investigate the Th1 and Th2-related cytokine profile in local ovary of women with PCOS. The T lymphocytes of follicular fluid (FF) were obtained at the time of oocyte retrieval before in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in woman with or without PCOS. After culturing with PMA, Ionomycin and Golgi stop agent, cells were detected for the intracellular cytokine production by flow cytometry. The profile of Th1 (IFN-γ, IL-2) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-10) cytokines of CD3(+) CD4(+)T lymphocyte subsets were analyzed through invert gating. These cytokines in FF were also evaluated by ELISA. Flow cytometry analysis showed that the production of Th1 (IFN-γ, IL-2) cytokines in FF lymphocytes in PCOS patients were significantly higher than those in controls; ELISA result also demonstrated that the concentration of Th1 cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-2) in FF in PCOS patients is significantly increased compared with those in controls. It is concluded that the immune dominance of Th1 may be the immunological feature of the ovary in PCOS patients. It might participate in the immune pathogenesis in the ovary of PCOS patients. These results suggest that chronic inflammation maybe one of the underlying mechanism for the pathogenesis of PCOS.//////////////////
Ovarian function
Comment
Expression regulated by
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Ovarian localization
Oocyte, Granulosa, Luteal cells
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Interleukin-2 Production by Cultured Human Granulosa Cells. Orvieto R et al. (2015) Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is similar to vascular leak syndrome (VLS), which may be attributable to the massive increase in systemic inflammatory cytokines. The hyperstimulated human ovaries were demonstrated to contain interleukin (IL)-2, which, in turn, was suggested to activate the systemic inflammatory response characteristic of OHSS. As the source of follicular fluid IL-2 is still unclear, in the present study, we sought to validate the presence of IL-2 and IL-2 mRNA expression in human luteinized granulosa cells. IL-2 nuclear expression was detected using real-time PCR and immunofluorescence staining of human luteinized granulosa cell from 6 patients undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment. Calretinin immunofluorescence staining was used as a marker of granulosa cells. IL-2-positive immunofluorescence staining was detected within nuclei of granulosa cells, together with positive stain for calretinin, confirming the presence of granulosa cell. Moreover, IL-2 gene expression was demonstrated in luteinized granulosa cells by real-time PCR. In the present study, we provided firm evidence for the IL-2 production by human luteinized granulosa cells, as demonstrated by the presence of IL-2 and IL-2 mRNA expression in luteinized granulosa cells. Further studies are justified in an attempt to clarify the regulation and the cause-and-effect relationship between IL-2 production by the hyperstimulated ovaries and OHSS.//////////////////
Use of heterologous complementary DNA array screening to analyze bovine oocyte transcriptome and its evolution during in vitro maturation. Dalbis-Tran R et al. We have analyzed gene expression in bovine oocytes before and after in vitro maturation (IVM) using heterologous hybridization onto cDNA array. Total RNA was purified from pools of over 200 oocytes either immediately after aspiration from follicles at the surface of slaughterhouse cow ovaries or following in vitro maturation. Radiolabeled cDNA probes were generated by reverse-transcription followed by linear PCR amplification and were hybridized to Atlas human cDNA arrays. To our knowledge, this is the first report of gene expression profiling by this technology in the mammalian female germ cell. Our results demonstrate that cDNA array screening is a suitable method for analyzing the transcription pattern in oocytes. About 300 identified genes were reproducibly shown to be expressed in the bovine oocyte, the largest profile available so far in this model. The relative abundance of most messenger RNAs appeared stable during IVM. However, 70 transcripts underwent a significant differential regulation (by a factor of at least two). Their potential role in the context of oocyte maturation is discussed. Together they constitute a molecular signature of the degree of oocyte cytoplasmic maturation achieved in vitro.