IL-36 alpha (IL-1F6)

The IL-1 family is comprised of 11 structurally related ligands, including recently re-named IL-36α (IL-1F6), β (IL-1F8), and γ (IL-1F9) . IL-36α is highly expressed in psoriatic plaques, as are IL-36β and IL-36γ, and is the only IL-1 family member found to be expressed by T-cells, as well as monocytes and B-cells. Primarily found in skin and lymphoid tissues, IL-36α is also found to a lesser extent in tissues of the fetal brain, trachea, stomach, and intestine. IL-36α signals through a combination of the IL-1Rrp2 (IL-1R6) receptor, which is primarily expressed on certain dendritic cells, and the widely expressed IL-RAcP (IL-1 receptor accessory protein) . IL-36α also functions as an agonist of NF-kappaB and MAPK pathways, and induces the production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including IL-6, IL-8, BD-2, and BD-3. Recombinant human IL-36α is a 17.2 kDa protein containing 154 amino acid residues.