IL-21: An Executor of B Cell Fate

IL-21 is a type I cytokine that shares the common receptor gamma-chain with IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, and IL-15. B cells are one of the lymphoid cell types whose development and function are regulated by IL-21. Depending on the interplay with costimulatory signals and on the developmental stage of a B...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of immunology (1950) 2009-02, Vol.182 (4), p.1781-1787
Main Authors: Konforte, Danijela, Simard, Nathalie, Paige, Christopher J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
B-Lymphocytes - cytology
B-Lymphocytes - immunology
Cell Differentiation - immunology
Humans
Interleukins - immunology
Receptors, Interleukin-21 - immunology
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Summary:IL-21 is a type I cytokine that shares the common receptor gamma-chain with IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, and IL-15. B cells are one of the lymphoid cell types whose development and function are regulated by IL-21. Depending on the interplay with costimulatory signals and on the developmental stage of a B cell, IL-21 can induce proliferation, differentiation into Ig-producing plasma cells, or apoptosis in both mice and humans. Alone and in combination with Th cell-derived cytokines IL-21 can regulate class switch recombination to IgG, IgA, or IgE isotypes, indicating its important role in shaping the effector function of B cells. This review highlights the role of IL-21 in B cell development, function, and disease and provides some perspectives on the future studies in this area.
ISSN:0022-1767
1550-6606
DOI:10.4049/jimmunol.0803009