Santer-1 (Cytokines) Flashcards
What is a cytokine?
Molecule that mediates effector functions of immune systems
General properties of cytokines? (x3)
- released by one cell
- bind to receptors on another cell
- induce biological effects
3 ways cytokines can act
- endocrine
- paracrine
- autocrine
How can different cytokine influence the fate of a naive CD4+ T cell?
Depending on the type of cytokine, that will dictate the type of helper T cell you get
What is a chemokine?
type of cytokine that recruits immune cells to a site
4 types of cytokine effects
- pleiotropy
- redundancy
- synergy
- antagonism
Pleiotropy
one cytokine has multiple effects on different cell types
Redundancy
Different cytokines can have same effect on a cell
Synergy
2 or more cytokines work together to generate an effect
Antagonism
One cytokine can block the effect of another cytokine
How are families of cytokines distinguished?
- Structure of ligand and receptor
- Nature of signalling pathways induced
Common gamma chain
- receptor subunit for many interleukins
- important for signalling
- not involved in direct binding to cytokine
Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF)
family of cytokines that cause apoptosis, proliferation and morphogenesis
Morphogenesis
to cause something to change shape
Types of interferons
- Type I
- Type II (IFN-gamma)
- Type III
