GenAge entry for IL7 (Homo sapiens)

Gene name (HAGRID: 167)

HGNC symbol: IL7
Aliases: IL-7
Common name: interleukin 7

Potential relevance to the human ageing process

Main reason for selection: Entry selected based on indirect or inconclusive evidence linking the gene product to ageing in humans or in one or more model systems
Description: IL7 stimulates the proliferation of lymphoid progenitors. Mice without IL7 cease producing B lymphocyte after 7 weeks of age [772]. Declines with age in IL7 production have been associated with thymic atrophy [219]. Although IL7 could play a role age-related changes, such as ageing of the immune system, its role in human ageing is unknown.

Cytogenetic information

Cytogenetic band: 8q12-q13
Location: 78,732,772 bp to 78,805,523 bp
Orientation: Minus strand

Display region using the UCSC Genome Browser (GRCh38/hg38)

Protein information

Gene Ontology

Process:

GO:0002360; T cell lineage commitment
GO:0006959; humoral immune response
GO:0007267; cell-cell signaling
GO:0008284; positive regulation of cell proliferation
GO:0009887; animal organ morphogenesis
GO:0010468; regulation of gene expression
GO:0030890; positive regulation of B cell proliferation
GO:0043066; negative regulation of apoptotic process
GO:0043086; negative regulation of catalytic activity
GO:0045453; bone resorption
GO:0045582; positive regulation of T cell differentiation

And 4 more GO terms

Cellular component:

GO:0005576; extracellular region
GO:0005615; extracellular space

Function:

GO:0005125; cytokine activity
GO:0005139; interleukin-7 receptor binding
GO:0005515; protein binding
GO:0008083; growth factor activity

Show all GO terms

Protein interactions and network

Protein-protein interacting partners in GenAge: APP
STRING interaction network

Retrieve sequences for IL7

ORF: ORF
CDS: CDS

Homologs in model organisms

Mus musculus: Il7
Rattus norvegicus: Il7

In other databases

LongevityMap

This gene is present as IL7

Selected references

[219] Andrew and Aspinall (2002) "Age-associated thymic atrophy is linked to a decline in IL-7 production." Exp. Gerontol. 37(2-3):455-463 (PubMed)
[772] Carvalho et al. (2001) "Arrested B lymphopoiesis and persistence of activated B cells in adult interleukin 7(-/)- mice." J. Exp. Med. 194(8):1141-1150 (PubMed)
[220] Andrew and Aspinall (2001) "Il-7 and not stem cell factor reverses both the increase in apoptosis and the decline in thymopoiesis seen in aged mice." J. Immunol. 166(3):1524-1530 (PubMed)
[1892] Teglund et al. (1998) "Stat5a and Stat5b proteins have essential and nonessential, or redundant, roles in cytokine responses." Cell 93(5):841-850 (PubMed)
[770] Stephan et al. (1998) "Impaired ability of bone marrow stromal cells to support B-lymphopoiesis with age." Blood 91(1):75-88 (PubMed)
[771] Jönsson and Phillips (1993) "Interleukin-7 responsiveness of B220+ B cell precursors from bone marrow decreases in aging mice." Cell. Immunol. 147(2):267-278 (PubMed)