Molecular mechanisms of soluble cytokine receptor generation.

Soluble cytokine receptors play key roles in regulating cytokine-mediated biological events by binding and modulating the activity of target ligands in either an antagonistic or agonistic fashion. This Minireview will provide an overview of the molecular mechanisms mediating the generation of soluble cytokine receptors, which include sheddase-mediated proteolytic cleavage of cell-surface receptors, generation of soluble receptors by alternative gene splicing, transcription and translation of cytokine-binding genes, and extracellular release of membrane-bound receptors within vesicles such as exosomes.