IL-3, IL-5, and GM-CSF Signaling: Crystal Structure of the Human Beta-Common Receptor

Abstract

The cytokines, interleukin-3 (IL-3), interleukin-5 (IL-5), and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), are polypeptide growth factors that exhibit overlapping activities in the regulation of hematopoietic cells. They appear to be primarily involved in inducible hematopoiesis in response to infections and are involved in the pathogenesis of allergic and inflammatory diseases and possibly in leukemia. The X-ray structure of the beta common (βc) receptor ectodomain has given new insights into the structural biology of signaling by IL-3, IL-5, and GM-CSF. This receptor is shared between the three ligands and functions together with three ligand-specific α-subunits. The structu..