The functional receptor complex of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), a member of the gp130 family of cytokines, is composed of CNTF, the CNTF receptor alpha (CNTFR), gp130, and the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR). However, the nature of the receptor-mediated interactions in this complex has not yet been resolved. To address this issue we have determined the solution structure of th...

The differentiation of precursor cells into neurons or astrocytes in the developing brain has been thought to be regulated in part by growth factors. We show here that neural precursors isolated from the developing forebrain of mice that are deficient in the gene for the low-affinity leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR-/-) fail to generate astrocytes expressing glial fibrillary acidic pro...

We used a bacterially expressed fusion protein containing the entire cytoplasmic domain of the human leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) receptor to study its phosphorylation in response to LIF stimulation. The dose- and time-dependent relationships for phosphorylation of this construct in extracts of LIF-stimulated 3T3-L1 cells were superimposable with those for the stimulation of mitogen-activat...

Schizophrenia has been associated with an imbalance in inflammatory cytokines. Leukemia inhibitory factor receptor α (LIFR) is an integral component of the glycoprotein 130-LIFR signaling complex, which participates in signal transduction by members of the interleukin (IL)-6 cytokine family. The aim of this study was to investigate whether genetic...

The pleiotropic cytokine leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is able to promote the growth of mouse primordial germ cells (PGCs) in culture. It is unclear whether LIF acts directly on PGCs or indirectly via feeder cells or embryonic somatic cells. To understand the role of LIF in PGC growth, we have carried out molecular and cell culture analyses to investigate the role of both the LIF ligand and ...

A woman was isozygous for a novel mutation in the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor gene (LIFR) (c.2170C>G; p.Pro724Ala) which disrupts LIFR downstream signaling and results in Stüve-Wiedemann syndrome (STWS). She inherited two identical chromosomes 5 from her mother, heterozygous for the LIFR mutation. The presentation was typical for STWS, except there was no long bone dysplasia. Prominent ...

Stüve-Wiedemann syndrome (STWS; OMIM #610559) is a rare bent-bone dysplasia that includes radiologic bone anomalies, respiratory distress, feeding difficulties, and hyperthermic episodes. STWS usually results in infant mortality, yet some STWS patients survive into and, in some cases, beyond adolescence. STWS is caused by a mutation in the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) gene, which ...

Cholangiocarcinoma is an aggressive, strongly chemoresistant liver malignancy. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), an IL-6 family cytokine, promotes progression of various carcinomas. To investigate the role of LIF in cholangiocarcinoma, we evaluated the expression of LIF and its receptor (LIFR) in human samples. LIF secretion and LIFR expression were assessed in established and primary human cho...

BACKGROUND/AIM Tubal pregnancy is a major cause of maternal death in the first trimester and exploration of its underlying molecular mechanism is of great importance. This study aimed to explore the association of tubal pregnancy with leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) expression in oviduct tissues. MATERIALS AND METHODS Immunohistochemistry was pe...