The interleukin-7 receptor is a protein

Protein

Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...

 found on the surface of cells. It is made up of two different smaller protein chains - i.e. it is a heterodimer, and consists of two subunits, interleukin-7 receptor-α (CD127) and common-γ chain receptor (CD132). The common-γ chain receptors is shared with various cytokines, including interleukin-2, -4, -9, and -15. Interleukin-7 receptor is expressed on various cell types, including naive and memory T cells

Memory T cells

Memory T cells are a subset of infection- as well as potentially cancer-fighting T cells that have previously encountered and responded to their cognate antigen; thus, the term antigen-experienced T cell is often applied. Such T cells can recognize foreign invaders, such as bacteria or viruses,...

 and many others.

Function

Interleukin-7 receptor has been shown to play a critical role in the development of immune cells called lymphocytes - specifically in a process known as V(D)J recombination

V(D)J recombination

VJ recombination, also known as somatic recombination, is a mechanism of genetic recombination in the early stages of immunoglobulin and T cell receptors production of the immune system...

. This protein is also found to control the accessibility of a region of the genome

Genome

In modern molecular biology and genetics, the genome is the entirety of an organism's hereditary information. It is encoded either in DNA or, for many types of virus, in RNA. The genome includes both the genes and the non-coding sequences of the DNA/RNA....

 that contains the T-cell receptor gamma gene, by STAT5 and histone acetylation . Knockout studies in mice suggest that blocking apoptosis is an essential function of this protein during differentiation and activation of T lymphocytes. Functional defects in this protein may be associated with the pathogenesis of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID).

Diseases

Several diseases are associated with Interleukin-7 receptor including T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia can refer to:* Precursor T acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma* Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma...

, , multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...

, rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks synovial joints. The process produces an inflammatory response of the synovium secondary to hyperplasia of synovial cells, excess synovial fluid, and the development...

 and juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is the most common form of persistent arthritis in children. JIA is a subset of arthritis seen in childhood, which may be transient and...

.