The structure of interleukin-2 complexed with its alpha receptor.
Rickert, M., Wang, X., Boulanger, M.J., Goriatcheva, N., Garcia, K.C.(2005) Science 308: 1477-1480
- PubMed: 15933202 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1109745
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
1Z92 - PubMed Abstract: 
Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is an immunoregulatory cytokine that binds sequentially to the alpha (IL-2Ralpha), beta (IL-2Rbeta), and common gamma chain (gammac) receptor subunits. Here we present the 2.8 angstrom crystal structure of a complex between human IL-2 and IL-2Ralpha, which interact in a docking mode distinct from that of other cytokine receptor complexes. IL-2Ralpha is composed of strand-swapped "sushi-like" domains, unlike the classical cytokine receptor fold. As a result of this domain swap, IL-2Ralpha uses a composite surface to dock into a groove on IL-2 that also serves as a binding site for antagonist drugs. With this complex, we now have representative structures for each class of hematopoietic cytokine receptor-docking modules.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, and Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 299 Campus Drive, Fairchild D319, Stanford, CA 94305-5124, USA.