Carbohydrate Recognition by Cytokines and Its Relevance to Their Physiological Activities

Abstract

Cytokines regulate the immune response, inflammation, cell proliferation and differentiation as mediators of the regulatory network among lymphoid cells, hematopoietic cells, and endothelial cells. Many signal transduction mechanisms are evoked after cytokines bind to their respective receptors. Most cytokine receptors consist of several specific receptor subunits. These subunits form high-affinity complexes with their respective cytokines, which then induce various physiological effects. The formation of cytokine-receptor complexes cannot be explained by the simple interaction between a cytokine and its receptor. Lectin-like characteristics of cytokines may provide an insight into their multiple functions, although their physiological significance has not generally been elucidated (Yamashita and Fukushima 2007).