IL16
Interleukin 16
Gene Information Card
| Symbol | IL16 |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Interleukin 16 |
| Gene Type | protein-coding |
| Chromosomal Location | 15q25.1 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 3603 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/3603 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000172349 |
| UniProt ID | Q14005 |
| OMIM ID | 603035 |
| HGNC ID | 5980 |
| Aliases | LCF, NIL16, PRIL16, HsT19289 |
Description
IL16 (interleukin 16) encodes a pleiotropic cytokine that functions as a chemoattractant for CD4+ T cells, monocytes, and eosinophils. The precursor protein is cleaved by caspase-3 to release the bioactive C-terminal domain. IL16 modulates T cell activation and is involved in inflammatory and autoimmune responses. The gene is located on chromosome 15q25.1 and is expressed in lymphoid tissues and activated T cells.
Disease Associations
| Disease category | Pathophysiological mechanism | Genomic evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Inflammatory bowel disease | IL16 promotes CD4+ T cell recruitment and pro-inflammatory cytokine release in gut mucosa | Association studies (PMID: 15838507) |
| Asthma | IL16 levels elevated in airways; chemoattractant for eosinophils and CD4+ T cells | Expression analysis (PMID: 10627191) |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | IL16 contributes to synovial inflammation via CD4+ T cell chemotaxis | Case-control studies (PMID: 11590182) |
| Multiple sclerosis | IL16 implicated in T cell migration across blood-brain barrier | Genetic association (PMID: 12189160) |
| HIV infection | IL16 inhibits HIV replication by blocking CD4-gp120 binding | In vitro studies (PMID: 9187130) |
Expression Profile
Tissue Expression
| Tissue | nTPM | level |
|---|---|---|
| Lymph node | 12.5 | Medium |
| Spleen | 10.2 | Medium |
| Appendix | 8.9 | Medium |
| Lung | 6.1 | Low |
| Small intestine | 5.4 | Low |
| Bone marrow | 4.8 | Low |
Cell Line Expression
| Cell Line | nTPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jurkat (T cell leukemia) | 15.3 | High expression |
| Raji (Burkitt lymphoma) | 9.7 | Moderate expression |
| THP-1 (monocytic leukemia) | 7.2 | Moderate expression |
| HEK293 (embryonic kidney) | 2.1 | Low expression |
Data source：Human Protein Atlas（proteinatlas.org）
Mutations & Variants
Hotspot Mutations
| Variant | Type | Frequency | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| rs11556218 (G>T) | SNP | 0.15 (East Asian) | Intronic; associated with altered IL16 levels and autoimmune risk |
| rs4778889 (T>C) | SNP | 0.20 (European) | Promoter; may affect transcription factor binding |
| rs4072111 (C>T) | SNP | 0.10 (global) | Missense (Pro434Ser); functional impact unclear |
| COSM1234567 (example) | missense | Rare | Reported in COSMIC for colorectal cancer |
Mutation functional classification
Loss of Function (LOF)
No well-characterized loss-of-function mutations reported in germline; experimental knockdown reduces T cell chemotaxis.
Gain of Function (GOF)
Overexpression in certain cancers may enhance tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte recruitment.
Dominant Negative (DN)
Not described for IL16.
View complete mutation data：
Gene Ontology (GO)
Pathways
• Immune System (Reactome: R-HSA-168256)
• Chemokine receptors bind chemokines (Reactome: R-HSA-380108)
• Interleukin-16 signaling (Reactome: R-HSA-9020956)
Protein Summary
Interleukin-16 (IL-16) is a 130 kDa precursor protein that is cleaved by caspase-3 to release a 14 kDa C-terminal bioactive fragment. The mature IL-16 functions as a chemoattractant for CD4+ T cells, monocytes, and eosinophils by binding to CD4. It also modulates T cell activation and cytokine production. IL-16 is expressed in lymphoid tissues, activated T cells, and epithelial cells. The protein contains a PDZ domain and is involved in immune regulation, inflammation, and HIV pathogenesis.
Related Services
Related Products
| Product name | Cat.No. | Species | Gene ID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IL16 Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ2462 | Human | 3603 | Details Get a Quote |
| IL16 Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ53653 | Human | 3603 | Details Get a Quote |
| IL16 Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ62128 | Human | 3603 | Details Get a Quote |
| IL16 Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ70617 | Human | 3603 | Details Get a Quote |
