LIF, Mouse, HEK293 Cells,Tag Free

Recombinant mouse LIF (leukemia inhibitory factor) is commonly used in cell culture to maintain the pluripotency of stem cells. LIF is a widely  expressed pleiotropic member of the IL-6 family of cytokines (1-3). Mature mouse LIF is expressed as a highly and variably glycosylated 32-62 kDa monomer that shares 78%, 91%, 80%, 76%, and 78% aa sequence identity with human, rat, canine, bovine, and porcine LIF, respectively (4). LIF functions  through a heterodimeric receptor complex containing a ligand-binding subunit, LIF R alpha /CD118, and a signal transducing subunit, gp130 (2, 4, 5).  gp130 also serves as a subunit of the receptor complexes for Oncostatin M, Cardiotrophin-1, CNTF, IL-6, IL-11, and IL-27 (2, 5). A soluble form of mouse LIF R alpha can be generated by alternative splicing (6). Depending on the cells and their context, LIF either opposes or favors differentiation (2, 7). LIF  produced by the uterine endometrium supports successful implantation of the embryo, promotes proliferation and maintenance of pluripotency in embryonic  stem cells, and favors proliferation of progenitor cell types such as hematopoietic stem cells (2, 5, 7). LIF can also function as an autocrine growth factor in some pancreatic cancers, but it induces differentiation in the myeloid leukemic cell line M1 (1, 8). Tumor cell-derived LIF can also induce formation of  immunosuppressive tumor-associated macrophages (9). LIF promotes endometrial remodeling and differentiation of adipocytes and cardiac smooth  muscle cells (2, 3, 10). It promotes regulatory T cell and inhibits Th17 cell differentiation, thus down-regulating inflammation and contributing to immune  tolerance during pregnancy and in the nervous system (2, 3, 5, 7).

1. Moreau, J.F. et al. (1988) Nature 336:690. 

2. Trouillas, M. et al. (2009) Eur. Cytokine Netw. 20:51. 

3. Metcalfe, S.M. (2011) Genes Immun. 12:157.

4. Gearing, D.P. et al. (1987) EMBO J. 6:3995. 

5. Cheng, J.G. et al. (2001) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98:8680.

6. Tomida, M. et al. (1993) FEBS lett. 334:193.

7. Paiva, P. et al. (2009) Cytokine Growth Factor Rev. 20:319.

8. Kamohara, H. et al. (2007) Int. J. Oncol. 30:977.

9. Duluc, D. et al. (2007) Blood 110:4319.

10. Zouein, F.A. et al. (2013) Eur. Cytokine Netw. 24:11.