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Date of Award

4-26-1998

Document Type

Restricted Thesis: Campus only access

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Dr. Krista Fischer-Stenger

Abstract

Interleukin 1 (IL-l) is a cytokine with diverse roles in immunity and inflammation having both protective and proinflammatory effects. IL-l is synthesized by many cell types but particularly macrophages and astrocytes which have been stimulated. These cells are potent producers of IL-l upon stimulation with a variety of agents including lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and other foreign contaminants. Unstimulated macrophages possess low levels of mRNA for IL-l which rises 2 hours after stimulation, followed at 3 hours by IL-l protein which is detectable outside the cell. Cloning of the genes for IL-l revealed that there are two related gene products known as IL-l and IL-1B. Most human IL-l secreted by stimulated macrophages is IL-1B. IL-ls are synthesized as large precursor molecules (31 kD) which are cleaved by serine pro teases to give the 17.5 kD mature protein.

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