IL2, Official Symbol IL2provided by HGNC Official Full Name interleukin 2provided by HGNC Primary source HGNC:HGNC:6001 See related Ensembl:ENSG00000109471 MIM:147680; AllianceGenome:HGNC:6001 Gene type protein coding RefSeq status REVIEWED Organism Homo sapiens Lineage Eukaryota; Metazoa; Chordata; Craniata; Vertebrata; Euteleostomi; Mammalia; Eutheria; Euarchontoglires; Primates; Haplorrhini; Catarrhini; Hominidae; Homo Also known as IL-2; TCGF; lymphokine Summary This gene is a member of the interleukin 2 (IL2) cytokine subfamily which includes IL4, IL7, IL9, IL15, IL21, erythropoietin, and thrombopoietin. The protein encoded by this gene is a secreted cytokine produced by activated CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, that is important for the proliferation of T and B lymphocytes. The receptor of this cytokine (IL2R) is a heterotrimeric protein complex whose gamma chain is also shared by IL4 and IL7. The expression of this gene in mature thymocytes is monoallelic, which represents an unusual regulatory mode for controlling the precise expression of a single gene. The targeted disruption of a similar gene in mice leads to ulcerative colitis-like disease, which suggests an essential role of this gene in the immune response to antigenic stimuli. [provided by RefSeq, Sep 2020] Annotation information Note: This gene has been reviewed for its involvement in coronavirus biology, and is involved in cytokine storm inflammatory response. Expression Low expression observed in reference dataset See more Orthologs mouse all