Interleukin-11 (IL-11) is a stromal cell-derived cytokine with multiple biologic activities on lymphohematopoietic cells. It belongs to a family of pleiotropic and redundant cytokines that use the gp 130 transducing subunit in their high affinity receptors. By amplifying human cDNA libraries with oligonucleotide primers corresponding to the conserved WSXWS motif found in the hematopoietic cytokine receptor family, a novel cytokine receptor cDNA was identified that, based on high (82%) sequence homology with the recently cloned murine IL-11 receptor, appears to encode the human IL-11 receptor. This receptor is a 422-amino acid protein containing a signal peptide followed by extracellular, transmembrane, and cytoplasmic domains. The extracellular region has a two-domain structure homologous to those of the IL-6 and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) receptors: an immunoglobulin-like domain and a cytokine receptor-like domain. In addition, an isoform of the human IL-11 receptor that lacks the cytoplasmic domain was also identified. In agreement with the pleiotropic effects of IL-11 on different hematopoietic lineages and bone cells, IL-11 receptor transcripts were found to be expressed by the myelogenous leukemia cell line K562, the megakaryocytic leukemia cell line Mo7E, the erythroleukemia cell line TF1, and the osteosarcoma cell lines MG-63 and Saos-2.

Endosymbiosis interactions allow plants to grow in nutrient-deficient soil environments. The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis is an ancestral interaction between land plants and fungi, whereas nitrogen-fixing symbioses are highly specific for certain plants, notably major crop legumes. The signaling pathways triggered by specific lipochitooligosaccharide molecules involved in these interactions have common components that also overlap with plant root development. These pathways include receptor-like kinases, transcription factors (TFs), and various intermediate signaling effectors, including noncoding (nc)RNAs. These latter molecules have emerged as major regulators of gene expression and small ncRNAs, composed of micro (mi)RNAs and small interfering (si)RNAs, are known to control gene expression at transcriptional (chromatin) or posttranscriptional levels. In this review, we describe exciting recent data connecting variants of conserved si/miRNAs with the regulation of TFs, such as NSP2, NFY-A1, auxin-response factors, and AP2-like proteins, known to be involved in symbiosis. The link between hormonal regulations and these si- and miRNA-TF nodes is proposed in a model in which different feedback loops or regulations controlling endosymbiosis signaling are integrated. The diversity and emerging regulatory networks of young legume miRNAs are also highlighted.