Structure of an extracellular gp130 cytokine receptor signaling complex.
Chow, D., He, X., Snow, A.L., Rose-John, S., Garcia, K.C.(2001) Science 291: 2150-2150
- PubMed: 11251120 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1058308
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
1I1R - PubMed Abstract: 
The activation of gp130, a shared signal-transducing receptor for a family of cytokines, is initiated by recognition of ligand followed by oligomerization into a higher order signaling complex. Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus encodes a functional homolog of human interleukin-6 (IL-6) that activates human gp130. In the 2.4 angstrom crystal structure of the extracellular signaling assembly between viral IL-6 and human gp130, two complexes are cross-linked into a tetramer through direct interactions between the immunoglobulin domain of gp130 and site III of viral IL-6, which is necessary for receptor activation. Unlike human IL-6 (which uses many hydrophilic residues), the viral cytokine largely uses hydrophobic amino acids to contact gp130, which enhances the complementarity of the viral IL-6-gp130 binding interfaces. The cross-reactivity of gp130 is apparently due to a chemical plasticity evident in the amphipathic gp130 cytokine-binding sites.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Fairchild D319, 299 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.