Background of the antigen
TNF Alpha-IP 8L2 (tumor necrosis factor, alpha-induced protein 8-like 2), also known as TIPE2, is a 184 amino acid protein that shares 94% identity with its mouse counterpart and belongs to the TNFAIP8 family. Expressed in spleen, thymus, small intestine and lymph node with lower levels present in colon, lung and skin, TNF Alpha-IP 8L2 plays a role in maintaining immune homeostasis, specifically by acting as a negative regulator of both innate and adaptive immunity. In addition, TNF?IP 8L2 functions as a negative regulator of T-cell receptor function and is thought to promote Fas-induced apoptosis. The gene encoding TNF?IP 8L2 maps to human chromosome 1, which spans 260 million base pairs, contains over 3,000 genes and comprises nearly 8% of the human genome.
