il-32

IL-32 is a recently discovered cytokine that induces various proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6) and chemokines in both human and mouse cells through the NF-kappaB and p38 MAPK inflammatory signal pathways. It is regulated robustly by other major proinflammatory cytokines and is crucial to inflammation and immune responses. Four of the IL-32 isoforms (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta) are the most representative IL-32 transcripts, and the gamma isoform of IL-32 is the most active, although all isoforms are biologically active. IL-32, a cytokine produced mainly by T, natural killer, and epithelial cells induces significant amounts of TNFalpha and MIP-2 and increases the production of both cytokines in a dose-dependent manner. IL-32 has been implicated in inflammatory disorders, Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections, inflammatory bowel disease, and influenza A virus infection, as well as in some autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and in the human stomach cancer, human lung cancer, and breast cancer tissues. Thus, IL-32 expression might be valuable as a biomarker for cancer.

Serine / threonine-protein kinase Sgk3, also known as Serum / glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 3, Serum / glucocorticoid-regulated kinase-like and SGK3, is a cytoplasmic vesicle protein that belongs to the protein kinase superfamily and AGC Ser/Thr protein kinase family. SGK3 contains one AGC-kinase C-terminal domain, one protein kinase domain and one PX (phox homology) domain. Two specific sites of SGK3, one in the kinase domain (Thr-32) and the other in the C-terminal regulatory region (Ser-486), is needed to be phosphorylated for its full activation. SGK3 is expressed in most tissues with highest levels in pancreas, kidney liver, heart and brain and lower levels in lung, placenta and skeletal muscle. SGK3 is involved in the activation of potassium channels. It mediates cell IL-3-dependent survival signals. SGK3 participates in the regulation of HERG by increasing HERG protein abundance in the plasma membrane and may thus modify the duration of the cardiac action potential. SGK3 is also a very important and characteristic molecule that plays a critical role in both hair follicle morphogenesis and hair cycling.