From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Interleukin-29 (IL-29) is a protein of the helical cytokine family and is a type III interferon.[1] It is also known as IFNλ1 and is highly similar in amino acid sequence to the IL-28, the other type III interferon.
IL-29 plays an important role in host defenses against microbes and its gene is highly upregulated in cells infected with viruses.
The IL-29 gene is found on chromosome 19 in humans.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Vilcek, Novel interferons. Nature Immunology, 2003, Volume 4, pages 8-9
- ^ P. Sheppard, et al., IL-28, IL-29 and their class II cytokine receptor IL-28R. Nature Immunology, 2003, Volume 4, pages 63-68.