IL16
Function
Interleukin-16 stimulates a migratory response in CD4+ lymphocytes, monocytes, and eosinophils. Primes CD4+ T-cells for IL-2 and IL-15 responsiveness. Also induces T-lymphocyte expression of interleukin 2 receptor. Ligand for CD4.
Isoform 1
May act as a scaffolding protein that anchors ion channels in the membrane.
Isoform 3 is involved in cell cycle progression in T-cells. Appears to be involved in transcriptional regulation of SKP2 and is probably part of a transcriptional repression complex on the core promoter of the SKP2 gene. May act as a scaffold for GABPB1 (the DNA-binding subunit the GABP transcription factor complex) and HDAC3 thus maintaining transcriptional repression and blocking cell cycle progression in resting T-cells.
Post-translational modifications
Isoform 3
Synthesized as a chemo-attractant inactive precursor in hemopoietic tissues, and proteolytically cleaved by caspase-3 to yield IL-16.
Tissue Specificity
Isoform 3
Expressed in hemopoietic tissues, such as resting T-cells, but undetectable during active T-cell proliferation.
Cellular localization
- Interleukin-16
- Secreted
- Isoform 1
- Cytoplasm
- Isoform 3
- Cytoplasm
- Nucleus
Alternative names
Pro-interleukin-16, IL16