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. 1991 Nov;10(11):3191–3197. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1991.tb04881.x

The integrity of the conserved 'WS motif' common to IL-2 and other cytokine receptors is essential for ligand binding and signal transduction.

T Miyazaki 1, M Maruyama 1, G Yamada 1, M Hatakeyama 1, T Taniguchi 1
PMCID: PMC453042  PMID: 1915291

Abstract

Recent studies have identified a new family of cytokine receptors, which is primarily characterized by the conservation of periodically interspersed four cysteine residues and the W-S-X-W-S sequence ('WS motif') within the extracellular domain. However, the role of such conserved structures still remains elusive, in particular that of the WS motif. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is known to play a critical role in the clonal expansion of antigen-stimulated T lymphocytes, and the IL-2 signal is delivered by one of the receptor components, the IL-2 receptor beta (IL-2R beta) chain. The IL-2R beta chain, unlike the IL-2R alpha chain, belongs to this receptor family. In the present study, we analyzed the function of the WS motif of IL-2R beta (Trp194-Ser195-Pro196-Trp197-Ser198) with the use of site-directed mutagenesis. Our results indicate the critical role of the two Trp residues in the proper folding of the IL-2R beta extracellular domain and point to the general functional importance of the WS motif in the new cytokine receptor family.

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