Encoded by human IL2 Gene, Interleukin-2 is a secreted cytokine important for proliferation of T and B lymphocytes. The receptor of this cytokine is a heterotrimeric protein complex whose gamma chain is also shared by interleukin 4 (IL4) and interleukin 7 (IL7). IL2 expression in mature thymocytes is monoallelic, which represents an unusual regulatory mode for controlling expression of a single gene. Targeted disruption of a similar gene in mice leads to ulcerative colitis-like disease, which suggests an essential role in the immune response to antigenic stimuli. (From LocusLink)
