Cytokine receptor signalling through two novel families of transducer molecules: Janus kinases, and signal transducers and activators of transcription

in Journal of Endocrinology
Authors:
J Finidori inserm Unité 344, Endocrinologie Moléculaire, Institut Necker, Faculté de Médecine Necker, 156 rue de Vaugirard, 75730 Paris Cedex 15, France

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P A Kelly inserm Unité 344, Endocrinologie Moléculaire, Institut Necker, Faculté de Médecine Necker, 156 rue de Vaugirard, 75730 Paris Cedex 15, France

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Introduction

Cytokines are chemical mediators that include interleukins, polypeptide hormones and other growth factors. They regulate growth, differentiation and specific cellular functions by interacting with their cognate receptors. Cytokine receptors, which contain no tyrosine kinase domain in their cytoplasmic regions, have been grouped into different classes (Bazan 1990, Kitamura et al. 1994). The haematopoietic or cytokine/growth hormone/prolactin receptor family (Class I) and the interferon family (Class II) share both structural features and newly identified common signal transduction pathways. In the last 2 years, it has been demonstrated that both classes of receptors are associated with various members of the Janus kinase (JAK) family and activate a new family of transcription factors that couple ligand binding to the activation of gene expression and are thus termed signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) (Shuai et al. 1993a).

Structure of cytokine receptors

Class I and Class II cytokine receptors appear to

 

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