IL-3 Antibody / Interleukin 3

Interleukin-3, or IL-3, is a pleiotropic cytokine that is primarily secreted by activated T lymphocytes and stimulates the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells. IL-3 not only supports growth of both pluripotent stem cells and the more differentiated committed progenitors, but it also stimulates the functional activity of some fully differentiated cells. IL-3 has also been shown to protect mast cells from undergoing apoptosis. IL-3 exerts its biological effects through a receptor which consists of a ligand-specific Alpha subunit and a signal transducing beta subunit common to the IL-3/IL-5/GM-CSF receptors. The carboxy terminus of the beta subunit has been shown to be necessary for activation of the MAP kinase signaling pathway. Although the IL-3 receptor has no intrinsic kinase activity, stimulation with IL-3 leads to tyrosine phosphorylation of the JAK/Tyk 2 family member, JAK2, which in turn activates and causes nuclear translocation of Stat5a and Stat5b.