Description
Relevance: Interleukin-36 gamma (IL-36gamma) is a member of the interleukin 1 cytokine family that includes three closely related genes, IL-36alpha, beta, and gamma, formerly known as IL-1F6, F8, and F9 respectively. IL-36alpha has been detected in both neuronal and synovial tissue, whereas IL-36beta and IL-36gamma are expressed in both cutaneous and mucosal epithelial cells, including the respiratory tract. IL-36beta and IL-36gamma stimulate proliferation, maturation and/or cytokine expression by innate immune cells (such as keratinocytes and dendritic cells), and adaptive immune cells (neutrophils and T-cells) in both humans and mice. The activity of IL-36alpha is mediated by interleukin 1 receptor-like 2 (IL1RL2/IL1R-rp2), and is specifically inhibited by interleukin 1 family, member 5 (IL1F5/IL-1 delta). IL-36gamma plays an important role in communicating the cell death to surrounding cells.
Function: Cytokine that binds to and signals through the IL1RL2/IL-36R receptor which in turn activates NF-kappa-B and MAPK signaling pathways in target cells. Part of the IL-36 signaling system that is thought to be present in epithelial barriers and to take part in local inflammatory response; similar to the IL-1 system with which it shares the coreceptor IL1RAP. Seems to be involved in skin inflammatory response by acting on keratinocytes, dendritic cells and indirectly on T-cells to drive tissue infiltration, cell maturation and cell proliferation. In cultured keratinocytes induces the expression of macrophage, T-cell, and neutrophil chemokines, such as CCL3, CCL4, CCL5, CCL2, CCL17, CCL22, CL20, CCL5, CCL2, CCL17, CCL22, CXCL8, CCL20 and CXCL1; also stimulates its own expression and that of the prototypic cutaneous proinflammatory parameters TNF-alpha, S100A7/psoriasin and inducible NOS. May play a role in proinflammatory responses during particular neutrophilic airway inflammation