Interleukin 1 Alpha (IL1A) Active Protein

The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the interleukin 1 cytokine family. This cytokine is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in various immune responses, inflammatory processes, and hematopoiesis. This cytokine is produced by monocytes and macrophages as a proprotein, which is proteolytically processed and released in response to cell injury, and thus induces apoptosis. This gene and eight other interleukin 1 family genes form a cytokine gene cluster on chromosome 2. It has been suggested that the polymorphism of these genes is associated with rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer's disease. [provided by RefSeq]

Function: Produced by activated macrophages, IL-1 stimulates thymocyte proliferation by inducing IL-2 release, B-cell maturation and proliferation, and fibroblast growth factor activity. IL-1 proteins are involved in the inflammatory response, being identified as endogenous pyrogens, and are reported to stimulate the release of prostaglandin and collagenase from synovial cells.

Subunit structure: Monomer.

Subcellular location: Secreted. Note: The lack of a specific hydrophobic segment in the precursor sequence suggests that IL-1 is released by damaged cells or is secreted by a mechanism differing from that used for other secretory proteins.

Domain: The similarity among the IL-1 precursors suggests that the amino ends of these proteins serve some as yet undefined function.

Sequence similarities: Belongs to the IL-1 family.