UNIPROT #

P05112

PROTEIN NAME

IL4

SYNONYMS

B cell growth factor 1 antibody; B cell IgG differentiation factor antibody; B Cell Stimulatory Factor 1 antibody; B-cell stimulatory factor 1 antibody; BCGF 1 antibody; BCGF1 antibody; Binetrakin antibody; BSF-1 antibody; BSF1 antibody; IGG1 induction factor antibody; IL 4 antibody; IL-4 antibody; IL4 antibody; IL4_HUMAN antibody; Il4e12 antibody; Interleukin 4 antibody; Interleukin 4 variant 2 antibody; Interleukin 4, isoform 1 antibody; Interleukin-4 antibody; Lymphocyte stimulatory factor 1 antibody; MGC79402 antibody; Pitrakinra antibody

SEQUENCE SIMILARITIES

Belongs to the IL-4/IL-13 family.

SUBCELLULAR LOCATION

Secreted.

FUNCTION

Interleukin-4 (IL-4), also designated B cell stimulatory factor-1, is a glycosylated cytokine secreted by activated T lymphocytes, basophils and mast cells. The secreted IL-4 protein promotes the growth and differentiation of cells that participate in immune defense by favoring such events as the expansion of the Th2 lineage relative to Th1 cells. These T helper cell subsets are defined by their pattern of cytokine secretion: Th1 cells secrete IL-2, TNFβ and IFN-γ, while Th2 cells secrete IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10. Another key immunological function of IL-4 is to induce immunoglobulin class switching. IL-4 has been shown to induce the production of IgE and enhance IgG4 secretion by B cells, but suppress the production of IgM, IgA, IgG1, IgG2, and IgG3. It has been determined that Stat6 is rapidly tyrosine phosphorylated following stimulation of IL-3 or IL-4, but is not detectably phosphorylated following stimulation with IL-2, IL-12 or erythropoietin.