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Updated: May 23, 2026
16:10
A TIRF Microscopy Technique for Real-time, Simultaneous Imaging of the TCR and its Associated Signaling Proteins
Published on: March 22, 2012
Cytokine receptor activation at the cell surface
Sophie E Broughton1, Timothy R Hercus, Angel F Lopez
1St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, 9 Princes Street, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065, Australia.
Current Opinion in Structural Biology
|April 24, 2012
Summary
Recent advances in cytokine receptor structural biology reveal complex signaling mechanisms. This knowledge offers new therapeutic avenues for inflammatory diseases and malignancies.
Area of Science:
- Structural biology
- Immunology
- Molecular biology
Background:
- Cytokines exhibit pleiotropic signaling with critical roles in health and disease.
- Understanding cytokine receptor structure is key to deciphering their biological activities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight recent advancements in cytokine receptor structural biology.
- To explore novel insights into cytokine recognition and signaling complex formation.
- To identify new therapeutic opportunities based on structural findings.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of newly determined crystal structures of cytokine receptors.
- Electron microscopy imaging of intact receptor complexes.
- Visualization of protein-ligand interactions.
Main Results:
- Revealed a dodecameric signaling complex for the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) receptor.
- Visualized the ternary receptor complex of gp130/interleukin-6 (IL-6)/IL-6 receptor alpha (IL-6Rα) bound to Janus kinase.
- Identified novel cytokine recognition mechanisms for interleukin-17 (IL-17) and type I interferon families.
Conclusions:
- Advances in cytokine structural biology provide unprecedented insights into receptor activation.
- This growing knowledge fuels the development of novel therapies targeting cytokine function.
- Potential applications include treating malignancies and chronic inflammatory conditions.
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