Interleukin-14

Interleukin 14, also known as alpha-taxilin in recent scientific publications, is a protein encoded by the TXLNA gene on chromosome 1.

Interleukin-14 is a cytokine that affects the growth and proliferation of both normal and neoplastic B-cells (see also the synonym "high molecular weight B-cell growth factor").

The cytokine is produced by activated T and malignant B lymphocytes. The interleukin-14 receptor is only expressed on activated, but not on resting B-lymphocytes.

Interleukin 14 induces the proliferation of different types of B-lymphocytes. Subpopulations of B-lymphocytes and inhibits the release of immunoglobulins.

1. Ambrus JL Jr et al (1991) Induction of proliferation by high molecular weight B cell growth factor or low molecular weight B cell growth factor is associated with increases in intracellular calcium in different subpopulations of human B lymphocytes. Cell Immunol 134:314-324.
2. Ford R et al (1995) Identification of B-cell growth factors (interleukin-14; high molecular weight B-cell growth factors) in effusion fluids from patients with aggressive B-cell lymphomas.Blood 86:283-293.
3. Mashidori T et al (2011) Increased alpha-taxilin protein expression is associated with the metastatic and invasive potential of renal cell cancer. Biomed Res 32:103-110.
4. Nogami S et al (2004) "Identification and characterization of taxilin isoforms". Biochem. Biophysics. Res. Commun 319: 936-943.