Molecular Biology and Evolution 17:1413-1416 (2000)
© 2000 Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution
Letter to the Editor |
Positive Selection in the Evolution of Mammalian Interleukin-2 Genes
Institute of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics and Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University
In vertebrates, there are many secreted regulatory proteins that participate in host defense. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is one of these proteins, and it is secreted primarily by activated T lymphocytes. Interaction between IL-2 and its receptor on the T cell membrane triggers several signal transduction pathways, resulting in clonal expansion of T cells. While this proliferation-promoting activity is believed to be its main function, IL-2 can stimulate the functional differentiation of T cells as well. IL-2 is also known to be a proliferation and differentiation factor for a variety of cell types, such as B cells, natural killer cells, and myeloid cells (reviewed in Goldsmith and Greene 1994
; Gaulton and Williamson 1994
). Due to its ability to upregulate the immune system, IL-2 has been widely used in immunotherapy for a number of diseases, including cancers and AIDS (e.g., Macey and Johnston 1990
; Zou et al. 1999
). IL-2
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