Description
Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF) is a pleiotropic cytokine belonging to the long four-helix bundle cytokine superfamily. LIF shares tertiary structure with several other cytokines, including Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Oncostatin M, ciliary neurotropic factor, and cardiotrophin-1, and their functions in vivo are also redundant to some extent. LIF can bind to the common receptor of IL-6 subfamily, gp130, and then recruit its own receptor LIF Receptor to form a ternary complex. The basal expression of LIF in vivo is low; and its expression is induced by pro-inflammatory factors, including lipopolysaccharide, IL-1, and IL-17, and inhibited by anti-inflammatory agents, including IL-4 and IL-13. The functions of LIF include proliferation of primordial germ cells, regulation in blastocyst implantation and early pregnancy, and maintenance of pluripotent embryonic stem cells.