Interaction network mapping among IL-32 isoforms

IL-32 has been studied for its pleiotropic effects ranging from host immune responses to cell differentiation. Although several IL-32 isoforms have been characterized for their effects on cells, the roles of the others remain unclear. We previously reported that IL-32δ interacted with IL-32β and inhibited IL-32β-mediated IL-10 production. Thus, we performed comprehensive analyses to reveal more interactions between IL-32 isoforms in this study. We screened the interactions of 81 combinations of nine IL-32 isoforms by using a yeast two-hybrid assay, which identified 13 heterodimeric interactions. We verified these results by using reciprocal immunoprecipitation assays and reconfirmed 10 interactions, and presented the interaction network map between IL-32 isoforms. Our data suggest that IL-32 may have diverse intracellular effects through the interactions with its different isoforms.