IL-2 Receptor Antibody (gamma subunit)

Interleukin 2 receptor gamma, also known as Common gamma chain or CD132, is a cytokine recepter subunit that is common to the receptr complexes for at least six different interleukin receptors: IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-15 and interleukin-21 recepter. IL2RG is a member of the type I cytokine receptor family expressed on most lymphocyte (white blood cell) populations, and its gene is found on the X-chromosome of mammals. By fluorescence in situ hybridization and PCR amplification of somatic cell hybrid DNAs, the IL2RG gene is mapped to Xq13.1. The IL2RG gene contains 8 exons and spans approximately 4.2 kb. And the gamma chain is an indispensable component of the functional IL-2 receptor. Lymphocytes expressing the common gama chain can form functional receptors for these cytokine proteins, which transmit signals from one cell to another and direct programs of cellular differentiation. The sharing of the gama subunit by several receptors explains why humans and mice that lack IL-2 entirely show milder symptoms than those with IL2RG deficiency.