Description
Interleukin 12 p40 subunit heterodimerizes with the IL12 p35 subunit to form IL12 and with the IL23 p19 subunit to form IL23. IL12 p40 exists as a monomer and as a homodimer. This gene encodes a subunit of Interleukin 12, a cytokine that acts on T and natural killer cells, and has a broad array of biological activities. This cytokine has been found to be important for sustaining a sufficient number of memory/effector Th1 cells to mediate long-term protection to an intracellular pathogen