NameInterleukin-6
Synonyms
  • B-cell stimulatory factor 2
  • BSF-2
  • CDF
  • CTL differentiation factor
  • Hybridoma growth factor
  • IFN-beta-2
  • IFNB2
  • IL-6
  • Interferon beta-2
Gene NameIL6
OrganismHuman
Amino acid sequence
>lcl|BSEQ0021838|Interleukin-6
MNSFSTSAFGPVAFSLGLLLVLPAAFPAPVPPGEDSKDVAAPHRQPLTSSERIDKQIRYI
LDGISALRKETCNKSNMCESSKEALAENNLNLPKMAEKDGCFQSGFNEETCLVKIITGLL
EFEVYLEYLQNRFESSEEQARAVQMSTKVLIQFLQKKAKNLDAITTPDPTTNASLLTKLQ
AQNQWLQDMTTHLILRSFKEFLQSSLRALRQM
Number of residues212
Molecular Weight23717.965
Theoretical pI6.52
GO Classification
Functions
  • growth factor activity
  • cytokine activity
  • interleukin-6 receptor binding
Processes
  • cell growth
  • response to amino acid
  • response to auditory stimulus
  • acute-phase response
  • regulation of circadian sleep/wake cycle, non-REM sleep
  • muscle cell cellular homeostasis
  • regulation of cell shape
  • monocyte chemotaxis
  • regulation of angiogenesis
  • positive regulation of protein import into nucleus, translocation
  • positive regulation of cell proliferation
  • defense response to Gram-positive bacterium
  • platelet activation
  • endocrine pancreas development
  • defense response to Gram-negative bacterium
  • negative regulation of gluconeogenesis
  • positive regulation of interleukin-6 production
  • defense response to virus
  • cell redox homeostasis
  • response to heat
  • positive regulation of chemokine production
  • positive regulation of T-helper 2 cell differentiation
  • response to calcium ion
  • response to glucocorticoid
  • positive regulation of JAK-STAT cascade
  • negative regulation of protein kinase activity
  • positive regulation of tyrosine phosphorylation of Stat3 protein
  • positive regulation of T cell proliferation
  • response to peptidoglycan
  • response to nutrient levels
  • defense response to protozoan
  • glucose homeostasis
  • response to cold
  • positive regulation of osteoblast differentiation
  • negative regulation of fat cell differentiation
  • cellular response to lipopolysaccharide
  • cellular response to interleukin-1
  • positive regulation of apoptotic process
  • positive regulation of protein kinase B signaling
  • aging
  • neutrophil mediated immunity
  • bone remodeling
  • negative regulation of neuron death
  • positive regulation of peptidyl-tyrosine phosphorylation
  • positive regulation of immunoglobulin secretion
  • cellular response to dexamethasone stimulus
  • interleukin-6-mediated signaling pathway
  • response to drug
  • cytokine-mediated signaling pathway
  • positive regulation of sequence-specific DNA binding transcription factor activity
  • positive regulation of transmission of nerve impulse
  • cellular response to hydrogen peroxide
  • response to antibiotic
  • positive regulation of DNA replication
  • regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor production
  • cellular response to tumor necrosis factor
  • negative regulation of chemokine biosynthetic process
  • response to electrical stimulus
  • hepatic immune response
  • response to insulin
  • positive regulation of STAT protein import into nucleus
  • positive regulation of transcription, DNA-templated
  • response to yeast
  • response to caffeine
  • negative regulation of collagen biosynthetic process
  • neuron projection development
  • positive regulation of leukocyte chemotaxis
  • negative regulation of apoptotic process
  • positive regulation of translation
  • negative regulation of hormone secretion
  • glucagon secretion
  • positive regulation of epithelial cell proliferation
  • positive regulation of acute inflammatory response
  • negative regulation of cell proliferation
  • positive regulation of nitric oxide biosynthetic process
  • positive regulation of MAPK cascade
  • negative regulation of muscle organ development
  • humoral immune response
  • positive regulation of ERK1 and ERK2 cascade
  • positive regulation of B cell activation
  • negative regulation of cysteine-type endopeptidase activity involved in apoptotic process
  • neutrophil apoptotic process
  • positive regulation of type B pancreatic cell apoptotic process
  • T-helper 17 cell lineage commitment
  • inflammatory response
  • positive regulation of smooth muscle cell proliferation
  • negative regulation of cytokine secretion
  • positive regulation of peptidyl-serine phosphorylation
  • branching involved in salivary gland morphogenesis
  • positive regulation of neuron differentiation
  • negative regulation of lipid storage
  • positive regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter
  • epithelial cell proliferation involved in salivary gland morphogenesis
Components
  • cytoplasm
  • extracellular region
  • external side of plasma membrane
  • interleukin-6 receptor complex
  • extracellular space
General FunctionInterleukin-6 receptor binding
Specific FunctionCytokine with a wide variety of biological functions. It is a potent inducer of the acute phase response. Plays an essential role in the final differentiation of B-cells into Ig-secreting cells Involved in lymphocyte and monocyte differentiation. Acts on B-cells, T-cells, hepatocytes, hematopoietic progenitor cells and cells of the CNS. Required for the generation of T(H)17 cells. Also acts as a myokine. It is discharged into the bloodstream after muscle contraction and acts to increase the breakdown of fats and to improve insulin resistance. It induces myeloma and plasmacytoma growth and induces nerve cells differentiation.
Pfam Domain Function
Transmembrane RegionsNot Available
GenBank Protein ID32674
UniProtKB IDP05231
UniProtKB Entry NameIL6_HUMAN
Cellular LocationSecreted
Gene sequence
>lcl|BSEQ0021839|Interleukin-6 (IL6)
ATGAACTCCTTCTCCACAAGCGCCTTCGGTCCAGTTGCCTTCTCCCTGGGGCTGCTCCTG
GTGTTGCCTGCTGCCTTCCCTGCCCCAGTACCCCCAGGAGAAGATTCCAAAGATGTAGCC
GCCCCACACAGACAGCCACTCACCTCTTCAGAACGAATTGACAAACAAATTCGGTACATC
CTCGACGGCATCTCAGCCCTGAGAAAGGAGACATGTAACAAGAGTAACATGTGTGAAAGC
AGCAAAGAGGCACTGGCAGAAAACAACCTGAACCTTCCAAAGATGGCTGAAAAAGATGGA
TGCTTCCAATCTGGATTCAATGAGGAGACTTGCCTGGTGAAAATCATCACTGGTCTTTTG
GAGTTTGAGGTATACCTAGAGTACCTCCAGAACAGATTTGAGAGTAGTGAGGAACAAGCC
AGAGCTGTGCAGATGAGTACAAAAGTCCTGATCCAGTTCCTGCAGAAAAAGGCAAAGAAT
CTAGATGCAATAACCACCCCTGACCCAACCACAAATGCCAGCCTGCTGACGAAGCTGCAG
GCACAGAACCAGTGGCTGCAGGACATGACAACTCATCTCATTCTGCGCAGCTTTAAGGAG
TTCCTGCAGTCCAGCCTGAGGGCTCTTCGGCAAATGTAG
GenBank Gene IDX04430
GeneCard IDNot Available
GenAtlas IDIL6
HGNC IDHGNC:6018
Chromosome Location7
Locus7p21
References
  1. Hirano T, Yasukawa K, Harada H, Taga T, Watanabe Y, Matsuda T, Kashiwamura S, Nakajima K, Koyama K, Iwamatsu A, et al.: Complementary DNA for a novel human interleukin (BSF-2) that induces B lymphocytes to produce immunoglobulin. Nature. 1986 Nov 6-12;324(6092):73-6. 3491322
  2. Yasukawa K, Hirano T, Watanabe Y, Muratani K, Matsuda T, Nakai S, Kishimoto T: Structure and expression of human B cell stimulatory factor-2 (BSF-2/IL-6) gene. EMBO J. 1987 Oct;6(10):2939-45. 3500852
  3. May LT, Helfgott DC, Sehgal PB: Anti-beta-interferon antibodies inhibit the increased expression of HLA-B7 mRNA in tumor necrosis factor-treated human fibroblasts: structural studies of the beta 2 interferon involved. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Dec;83(23):8957-61. 3538015
  4. Zilberstein A, Ruggieri R, Korn JH, Revel M: Structure and expression of cDNA and genes for human interferon-beta-2, a distinct species inducible by growth-stimulatory cytokines. EMBO J. 1986 Oct;5(10):2529-37. 3023045
  5. Brakenhoff JP, de Groot ER, Evers RF, Pannekoek H, Aarden LA: Molecular cloning and expression of hybridoma growth factor in Escherichia coli. J Immunol. 1987 Dec 15;139(12):4116-21. 3320204
  6. Tonouchi N, Miwa K, Karasuyama H, Matsui H: Deletion of 3' untranslated region of human BSF-2 mRNA causes stabilization of the mRNA and high-level expression in mouse NIH3T3 cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1989 Sep 15;163(2):1056-62. 2789513
  7. Haegeman G, Content J, Volckaert G, Derynck R, Tavernier J, Fiers W: Structural analysis of the sequence coding for an inducible 26-kDa protein in human fibroblasts. Eur J Biochem. 1986 Sep 15;159(3):625-32. 3758081
  8. Wong GG, Witek-Giannotti J, Hewick RM, Clark SC, Ogawa M: Interleukin 6: identification as a hematopoietic colony-stimulating factor. Behring Inst Mitt. 1988 Aug;(83):40-7. 3266463
  9. Chen QY: [Stable and efficient expression of human interleukin-6 cDNA in mammalian cells after gene transfer]. Zhonghua Zhong Liu Za Zhi. 1992 Sep;14(5):340-4. 1291290
  10. Gerhard DS, Wagner L, Feingold EA, Shenmen CM, Grouse LH, Schuler G, Klein SL, Old S, Rasooly R, Good P, Guyer M, Peck AM, Derge JG, Lipman D, Collins FS, Jang W, Sherry S, Feolo M, Misquitta L, Lee E, Rotmistrovsky K, Greenhut SF, Schaefer CF, Buetow K, Bonner TI, Haussler D, Kent J, Kiekhaus M, Furey T, Brent M, Prange C, Schreiber K, Shapiro N, Bhat NK, Hopkins RF, Hsie F, Driscoll T, Soares MB, Casavant TL, Scheetz TE, Brown-stein MJ, Usdin TB, Toshiyuki S, Carninci P, Piao Y, Dudekula DB, Ko MS, Kawakami K, Suzuki Y, Sugano S, Gruber CE, Smith MR, Simmons B, Moore T, Waterman R, Johnson SL, Ruan Y, Wei CL, Mathavan S, Gunaratne PH, Wu J, Garcia AM, Hulyk SW, Fuh E, Yuan Y, Sneed A, Kowis C, Hodgson A, Muzny DM, McPherson J, Gibbs RA, Fahey J, Helton E, Ketteman M, Madan A, Rodrigues S, Sanchez A, Whiting M, Madari A, Young AC, Wetherby KD, Granite SJ, Kwong PN, Brinkley CP, Pearson RL, Bouffard GG, Blakesly RW, Green ED, Dickson MC, Rodriguez AC, Grimwood J, Schmutz J, Myers RM, Butterfield YS, Griffith M, Griffith OL, Krzywinski MI, Liao N, Morin R, Palmquist D, Petrescu AS, Skalska U, Smailus DE, Stott JM, Schnerch A, Schein JE, Jones SJ, Holt RA, Baross A, Marra MA, Clifton S, Makowski KA, Bosak S, Malek J: The status, quality, and expansion of the NIH full-length cDNA project: the Mammalian Gene Collection (MGC). Genome Res. 2004 Oct;14(10B):2121-7. 15489334
  11. Van Damme J, Van Beeumen J, Decock B, Van Snick J, De Ley M, Billiau A: Separation and comparison of two monokines with lymphocyte-activating factor activity: IL-1 beta and hybridoma growth factor (HGF). Identification of leukocyte-derived HGF as IL-6. J Immunol. 1988 Mar 1;140(5):1534-41. 3279116
  12. Ming JE, Cernetti C, Steinman RM, Granelli-Piperno A: Interleukin 6 is the principal cytolytic T lymphocyte differentiation factor for thymocytes in human leukocyte conditioned medium. J Mol Cell Immunol. 1989;4(4):203-11; discussion 211-2. 2610854
  13. May LT, Shaw JE, Khanna AK, Zabriskie JB, Sehgal PB: Marked cell-type-specific differences in glycosylation of human interleukin-6. Cytokine. 1991 May;3(3):204-11. 1883960
  14. Breton J, La Fiura A, Bertolero F, Orsini G, Valsasina B, Ziliotto R, De Filippis V, Polverino de Laureto P, Fontana A: Structure, stability and biological properties of a N-terminally truncated form of recombinant human interleukin-6 containing a single disulfide bond. Eur J Biochem. 1995 Jan 15;227(1-2):573-81. 7851440
  15. Clogston CL, Boone TC, Crandall BC, Mendiaz EA, Lu HS: Disulfide structures of human interleukin-6 are similar to those of human granulocyte colony stimulating factor. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1989 Jul;272(1):144-51. 2472117
  16. Lutticken C, Kruttgen A, Moller C, Heinrich PC, Rose-John S: Evidence for the importance of a positive charge and an alpha-helical structure of the C-terminus for biological activity of human IL-6. FEBS Lett. 1991 May 6;282(2):265-7. 2037043
  17. Nishimura C, Watanabe A, Gouda H, Shimada I, Arata Y: Folding topologies of human interleukin-6 and its mutants as studied by NMR spectroscopy. Biochemistry. 1996 Jan 9;35(1):273-81. 8555185
  18. Xu GY, Yu HA, Hong J, Stahl M, McDonagh T, Kay LE, Cumming DA: Solution structure of recombinant human interleukin-6. J Mol Biol. 1997 May 2;268(2):468-81. 9159484
  19. Somers W, Stahl M, Seehra JS: 1.9 A crystal structure of interleukin 6: implications for a novel mode of receptor dimerization and signaling. EMBO J. 1997 Mar 3;16(5):989-97. 9118960
  20. Fishman D, Faulds G, Jeffery R, Mohamed-Ali V, Yudkin JS, Humphries S, Woo P: The effect of novel polymorphisms in the interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene on IL-6 transcription and plasma IL-6 levels, and an association with systemic-onset juvenile chronic arthritis. J Clin Invest. 1998 Oct 1;102(7):1369-76. 9769329
  21. Foster CB, Lehrnbecher T, Samuels S, Stein S, Mol F, Metcalf JA, Wyvill K, Steinberg SM, Kovacs J, Blauvelt A, Yarchoan R, Chanock SJ: An IL6 promoter polymorphism is associated with a lifetime risk of development of Kaposi sarcoma in men infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Blood. 2000 Oct 1;96(7):2562-7. 11001912
  22. Ota N, Nakajima T, Nakazawa I, Suzuki T, Hosoi T, Orimo H, Inoue S, Shirai Y, Emi M: A nucleotide variant in the promoter region of the interleukin-6 gene associated with decreased bone mineral density. J Hum Genet. 2001;46(5):267-72. 11355017
  23. Chung HW, Seo JS, Hur SE, Kim HL, Kim JY, Jung JH, Kim LH, Park BL, Shin HD: Association of interleukin-6 promoter variant with bone mineral density in pre-menopausal women. J Hum Genet. 2003;48(5):243-8. Epub 2003 Apr 18. 12768442
  24. Tagliabracci VS, Wiley SE, Guo X, Kinch LN, Durrant E, Wen J, Xiao J, Cui J, Nguyen KB, Engel JL, Coon JJ, Grishin N, Pinna LA, Pagliarini DJ, Dixon JE: A Single Kinase Generates the Majority of the Secreted Phosphoproteome. Cell. 2015 Jun 18;161(7):1619-32. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.05.028. 26091039