Interleukin 1 receptor, type I (IL-1R1) also known as CD121a (Cluster of Differentiation 121a), is an interleukin receptor. IL-1R1/CD121a is a cytokine receptor that belongs to the interleukin 1 receptor family. This protein is a receptor for interleukin alpha (IL1A), interleukin beta (IL1B), and interleukin 1 receptor, type I (IL1R1/IL1RA). IL-1R1/CD121a is an important mediator involved in many cytokine induced immune and inflammatory responses. This protein has been characterized by pharmacological and molecular techniques in the mouse brain. The spindle-shaped astrocytes enclose the wound, separating the healthy from damaged neural tissue. The shape change and subsequent repair processes are IL-1β activity-dependent, acting through the IL-1 type 1 receptor (IL-1R1), as co-application of the IL-1type 1 receptor antagonist protein (IL-1ra) blocks IL-1β induced effects. In the spleen, a slight increase in IL-1R AcP and IL-1R1 was observed during the first hours following LPS stimulation. In conclusion, IL-1R AcP mRNA is expressed in the brain and in other tissues where IL-1R1/CD121a transcripts are found. However, the regulation of its expression is distinct from IL-1R1/CD121a. The high level of expression and the lack of regulation of IL-1R AcP transcripts in the brain under inflammatory conditions suggest that the protein might be constitutively expressed in excess.
