Yamasaki K, et al. (Science. 1988 ) cloned a complementary DNA, which encoding a recptor for IL-6. Signaling conformations of the tall cytokine receptor gp130 when in complex with IL-6 and IL-6 receptor (Skiniotis et al. 2005).

Initially described as the interleukin-6 signal transducer, gp130 is a transducer chain shared by many cytokines, such as IL6, IL11 , leukemia inhibitory factor, oncostatin M , and ciliary neurotrophic factor , as reviewed by Kishimoto et al. (Cell, 1994). All of these cytokines act via a bi- or tripartite receptor complex in which signaling is triggered by homodimerization (IL6) or heterodimerization with LIF-Rb/gp190 protein (IL11, LIF, OSM, and CNTF) of gp130. These cytokines thus mediate similar biologic activities in various tissues.

The family of cytokines signalling through the common receptor subunit gp130 comprises interleukin (IL)-6, IL-11, leukaemia inhibitory factor, oncostatin M, ciliary neurotrophic factor and cardiotrophin-1 (Heinrich et al. 1998).

Mosley B,et al. (J Biol Chem. 1996) Cloned and characterized an alternative signaling subunit conferring OSM-specific receptor activation.The receptor for OSM is a dimmer of OSMR-beta and gp130. The combination of gp130-LIFR-alpha is also a receptor for human OSM (Wang et al. 2000).

IL-11 responsiveness is restricted to cells that express the interleukin-11 receptor alpha-chain (IL-11Ralpha) and an additional signal-transducing subunit (gp130). Stable high affinity complex of IL-11, IL-11R, and gp130 can be resolved by nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel (Barton et al. 2000).

The receptor for OSM is a dimmer of OSMR-beta and gp130. The combination of gp130-LIFR-alpha is also a receptor for human OSM (Wang et al. 2000).

Neuropoietin, a new IL-6-related cytokine signaling through the ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor. It acts through a membrane receptor complex comprising CNTF receptor-alpha component (CNTFRalpha), gp130, and leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (Derouet et al. 2004).

CLF associates with CLC to form a functional heteromeric ligand for the CNTF receptor complex (Elson et al. 2000).