Interleukin 19

Function

The protein encoded by this gene is a cytokine that belongs to the IL-10 cytokine subfamily. This cytokine is found to be preferentially expressed in monocytes. It can bind the interleukin-20 receptor complex and lead to the activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). A similar cytokine in mouse is reported to up-regulate the expression of IL6 and TNF-alpha and induce apoptosis, which suggests a role of this cytokine in inflammatory responses. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding the distinct isoforms have been described.

Interleukin-19 is a cytokine that belongs to the IL-10 family of cytokines along with several other interleukins including IL-10, IL-20, IL-22, IL-24, IL-26, and several virus-encoded cytokines. It signals through the same cell surface receptor (IL-20R) that is used by IL-20 and IL-24. The IL-19 gene is expressed in resting monocytes and B cells. It is up-regulated in monocytes following stimulation with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), lipopolysaccharide, or Pam3CSK4. and