Recombinant Rat IL-2 protein

IL-2 is a powerful immunoregulatory lymphokine produced by T-cells in response to antigenic or mitogenic stimulation. It is expressed by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, γδ T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, and eosinophils. IL-2/IL-2R signaling is required for T-cell proliferation and other fundamental functions which are essential for the immune response. The receptor for IL-2 consists of three subunits (55 kDa IL2Rα, 75 kDa IL2Rβ, 64 kDa common gamma chain γc/IL2Rγ) that are present on the cell surface in varying preformed complexes. Recombinant rat IL-2 is a 15.3 kDa protein containing 134 amino acid residues and it shares about 82 %, 66 %, 66 %, 60 % and 54 % amino acid sequence identity with mouse, human, rhesus macaque, pig and equus caballus IL-2, respectively.