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. 2020 Aug 20;9:F1000 Faculty Rev-1013. [Version 1] doi: 10.12688/f1000research.26058.1

Figure 2. Stimulation of target cells by interleukin-6 (IL-6).

Figure 2.

IL-6 (orange) first binds to the IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) (red). The complex of IL-6 and IL-6R associates with glycoprotein 130 kDa (gp130) (blue), which dimerises and leads to intracellular signalling. It is important to note that IL-6 and IL-6R alone exhibit no measurable affinity to gp130. Only the complex of IL-6 and IL-6R binds to and activates gp130. Therefore, IL-6 cannot stimulate cells that do not express IL-6R. Signalling occurs via the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1/STAT3, Yamaguchi sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (YES)/YES-associated protein (YAP), phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K)/AKT, and rat sarcoma proto oncogene (RAS)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. JAK, Janus kinase.