IL10RA is a transmembrane protein that forms part of the heterotetrameric IL-10 receptor complex (IL10RA/IL10RB)². It binds IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine that suppresses pro-inflammatory responses in immune cells like macrophages and dendritic cells . IL10RA activation triggers JAK1/TYK2-mediated STAT3 phosphorylation, modulating immune tolerance and inflammation . Genetic defects in IL10RA are linked to severe early-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) .
IL10RA antibodies are used across diverse experimental and clinical contexts:
IL10RA blockade enhances CD8+ T cell and CAR-T cell antitumor activity in colorectal liver metastases (CRLM), increasing carcinoma cell apoptosis by 70% .
In COVID-19, IL10RA antibodies revealed elevated IL-10 levels correlate with disease severity, suggesting its role in cytokine storm modulation .
Pathogenic IL10RA variants impair STAT3 phosphorylation, contributing to monogenic IBD . Heterozygous carriers show partial IL-10 resistance, potentially offering evolutionary advantages against parasites like Schistosoma japonicum .
In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), IL10RB polymorphisms alter receptor function, influencing disease susceptibility .
Autoimmune Diseases: IL10RA antibodies help diagnose IL-10 signaling defects in IBD patients . Over 93% of IL10R-deficient patients develop severe colitis within infancy .
Cancer Immunotherapy: Neutralizing IL10RA antibodies (e.g., αIL-10) restore T cell function in CRLM, synergizing with anti-PD-1 therapies .
Infectious Diseases: IL10RA blockade reverses T cell exhaustion in chronic viral infections (e.g., HIV, HCV) .
Controls: Use IL10RA-expressing cell lines (e.g., HeLa, K-562) for WB validation .
Limitations: Non-specific bands at ~100 kDa may occur due to glycosylation .
IL10RA (also known as IL-10R1 or CD210) is the alpha subunit of the interleukin-10 receptor complex. It functions as part of a heterotetramer comprising two IL10Rα molecules and two IL10Rβ molecules. IL10RA serves as the primary ligand-binding component of this receptor complex . The IL-10 signaling pathway plays a critical role in maintaining immune system balance through anti-inflammatory functions. IL10RA is expressed on most hematopoietic cells at basal levels but becomes upregulated upon cell activation, indicating its importance in inhibitory immune pathways . The protein is encoded by the IL10RA gene located on chromosome 11 in humans .
IL10RA expression varies significantly by cell type and activation state:
|Cell Type|Basal Expression|Upon Activation|
|--|--|
|Naïve CD4+ T cells|Low|Upregulated after in vivo anti-CD3 treatment, particularly in Th17 cells in small intestine|
|Memory/effector T cells|Low|Upregulated following stimulation|
|Regulatory T cells|Low|Upregulated following stimulation|
|Human neutrophils|Low|Upregulated after LPS or IL4 stimulation|
|Dendritic cells|Present|Downregulated after maturation, enabling enhanced proinflammatory response|
|Fibroblasts|Low/Absent|Can be induced with LPS stimulation|
|Colonic epithelial cells|Constitutively expressed|Maintained expression|
|Macrophages|Present|Expression influences differentiation into MHCII low or MHCII high phenotypes|
This expression pattern highlights IL10RA's dynamic regulation in the immune system, particularly at mucosal surfaces .
IL10RA has the following molecular properties:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Interleukin 10 receptor, alpha |
| Calculated Molecular Weight | 578 amino acids, 63 kDa |
| Observed Molecular Weight | 70-72 kDa, 90-95 kDa |
| GenBank Accession Number | BC028082 |
| Gene Symbol | IL-10RA |
| Gene ID (NCBI) | 3587 |
| UNIPROT ID | Q13651 |
The discrepancy between calculated and observed molecular weights (63 kDa vs. 70-95 kDa) is likely due to post-translational modifications such as glycosylation .
Researchers have access to several types of IL10RA antibodies with different characteristics:
| Antibody Type | Examples | Host/Isotype | Applications | Species Reactivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polyclonal antibodies | Proteintech 13356-1-AP | Rabbit IgG | WB, IF, ELISA | Human, mouse, rat |
| Polyclonal antibodies | Abcam ab228010 | Rabbit | WB, IHC-P | Human |
When selecting an antibody, researchers should consider the specific experimental application, species of interest, and validation data provided by manufacturers .
Appropriate dilution depends on the specific application and antibody concentration. For commercially available antibodies such as Proteintech 13356-1-AP, the following dilutions are recommended:
| Application | Recommended Dilution |
|---|---|
| Western Blot (WB) | 1:500-1:2000 |
These are starting points, and optimal dilutions should be determined empirically for each experimental system. It is recommended that antibodies be titrated in each testing system to obtain optimal results, as dilution requirements may be sample-dependent .
IL10RA antibodies have been validated for multiple experimental applications:
Each application requires specific optimization and controls for reliable results.
For optimal detection of IL10RA by Western blot:
Sample preparation: Prepare cell/tissue lysates in appropriate lysis buffer containing protease inhibitors
Protein separation: Load 20-50 μg protein per lane on 10-12% SDS-PAGE gels
Transfer: Transfer proteins to PVDF or nitrocellulose membrane
Blocking: Block membrane with 5% non-fat milk or BSA in TBST for 1 hour at room temperature
Primary antibody: Incubate with IL10RA antibody at 1:500-1:2000 dilution overnight at 4°C
Washing: Wash membrane 3-5 times with TBST
Secondary antibody: Incubate with appropriate HRP-conjugated secondary antibody
Detection: Visualize using ECL substrate
Expected molecular weights for IL10RA are typically 70-72 kDa and 90-95 kDa, which differ from the calculated 63 kDa due to post-translational modifications .
Proper controls are essential for antibody validation and experimental reliability:
Positive controls: Include samples known to express IL10RA (e.g., HeLa cells, human heart tissue, human liver tissue)
Negative controls: Include samples with low/no IL10RA expression or IL10RA knockout samples
Loading controls: Use housekeeping proteins (e.g., β-actin, GAPDH) to normalize protein loading
Isotype controls: Include appropriate isotype-matched control antibody to assess non-specific binding
Blocking controls: Pre-incubate antibody with recombinant IL10RA protein to demonstrate specificity
Secondary-only controls: Omit primary antibody to assess background from secondary antibody
For immunofluorescence studies specifically, pre-blocking with recombinant human IL-10 or unlabeled anti-IL10RA antibody before staining can demonstrate specificity .
IL10RA antibodies are valuable tools for investigating the dysregulation of anti-inflammatory pathways in various diseases:
Expression analysis: Quantify IL10RA levels in affected tissues versus healthy controls using WB or IHC
Cell-specific expression: Use flow cytometry with cell-type-specific markers to identify which immune cell populations show altered IL10RA expression
Signaling pathway analysis: Combine with phospho-STAT3 detection to assess downstream signaling functionality
Receptor regulation: Study how IL10RA expression changes during disease progression
Therapeutic response markers: Monitor IL10RA expression as a biomarker for treatment efficacy
This is particularly relevant for inflammatory bowel diseases, where IL10R signaling plays a critical role in intestinal homeostasis. Studies have shown that defective IL10 signaling in antigen-presenting cells can result in proinflammatory states and loss of tolerance .
Multiple methodologies can track changes in IL10RA expression during immune activation:
Time-course analysis: Collect cells at different time points after activation stimuli (e.g., LPS, anti-CD3)
Flow cytometry: Quantify surface IL10RA expression changes at single-cell resolution
RT-qPCR: Monitor IL10RA mRNA expression changes relative to baseline
Western blot: Assess total protein levels at different activation states
Immunofluorescence microscopy: Visualize receptor redistribution and internalization
Reporter systems: Generate IL10RA promoter-reporter constructs to study transcriptional regulation
This approach is valuable because IL10RA expression is dynamically regulated during immune responses. For example, naïve CD4+ T cells have low IL10RA expression that increases after activation, while human DCs downregulate IL10R1 after maturation .
The calculated molecular weight of IL10RA is 63 kDa (578 amino acids), but it typically appears at 70-72 kDa and 90-95 kDa in Western blots . These discrepancies can be attributed to:
Post-translational modifications: Glycosylation, phosphorylation, or other modifications can increase apparent molecular weight
Protein isoforms: Alternative splicing may generate different protein variants
Incomplete denaturation: Residual tertiary structure can affect protein migration
Protein-protein interactions: Strong interactions that persist during SDS-PAGE
Technical factors: Gel percentage, running conditions, and buffer composition can affect migration patterns
Researchers should validate antibody specificity using additional techniques such as immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometry or using genetic knockout controls.
Non-specific binding can compromise experimental results. To mitigate this:
Optimize blocking conditions: Test different blocking agents (BSA, non-fat milk, commercial blockers) and concentrations
Adjust antibody concentration: Titrate to find optimal dilution that maximizes specific signal while minimizing background
Increase washing stringency: Use additional wash steps or higher detergent concentration
Pre-adsorb antibody: Incubate with lysates from cells not expressing IL10RA to remove cross-reactive antibodies
Use alternative detection methods: Switch from colorimetric to chemiluminescent or fluorescent detection for improved signal-to-noise ratio
Include specificity controls: Use blocking peptides, isotype controls, or genetic knockouts to confirm specificity
For example, with the JES3-19F1 antibody, pre-blocking with recombinant human IL-10 or unlabelled JES3-19F1 antibody prior to staining can demonstrate specificity .
IL10RA antibodies are invaluable for studying how IL-10 signaling affects immune cell fate decisions:
Macrophage polarization: IL10R signaling orchestrates the development of monocytes into different subsets of macrophages. During peritonitis, IL10 expression increases in early phases, directing monocytes to develop into MHCII low macrophages, while decreased IL10 in later phases promotes MHCII high macrophage differentiation
T cell subset development: IL10RA signaling affects the balance between effector and regulatory T cell populations
Dendritic cell maturation: IL10R1 expression is downregulated during DC maturation, enabling them to produce higher levels of proinflammatory mediators and prime T cells effectively
Neutrophil activation states: While non-inflammatory neutrophils lack IL10Rα expression, stimulation with LPS or IL4 induces IL10Rα synthesis, allowing IL10 to modulate cytokine production
These applications highlight how IL10RA antibodies help track receptor expression as a marker for cellular differentiation states and functional outcomes.
IL10RA signaling is essential for maintaining intestinal immune balance:
Epithelial integrity: IL10RA is constitutively expressed in colonic epithelial cells, suggesting a direct role in epithelial function and barrier maintenance
Myeloid cell regulation: Intestinal macrophages constitutively produce IL10 and are generally hypo-responsive to TLR-mediated stimulation, contributing to mucosal homeostasis
T cell tolerance: IL10-secreting CX3CR1highCD11b+CD11c+ cells suppress intestinal inflammation by inhibiting T-cell responses through IL10/STAT3-dependent mechanisms
Disease relevance: Dysregulated IL10RA signaling is implicated in inflammatory bowel diseases, with studies showing that defective IL10 signaling in antigen-presenting cells results in proinflammatory states and loss of tolerance
IL10RA antibodies are critical tools for studying these processes in both normal physiology and disease states.