Tags: Protein.
Interleukin-34 or IL-34 is a protein belonging to a group of cytokines called interleukins. It was originally identified in humans by large scale screening of secreted proteins; chimpanzee murine rat and chicken IL-34 orthologs have also been found. The protein is composed of 241 amino acids 39 kilodaltons in mass and forms homodimers. IL-34 increases growth or survival of immune cells known as monocytes; it elicits its activity by binding the Colony stimulating factor 1 receptor.