signal transducers and activators of transduction 4, CIS4, HSPC060, SOCS4, SOCS6, SSI4, STAI4, STAT 4, STAT4, STATI4, Suppressor of cytokine signaling 6, STAT4_HUMAN.
The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the STAT family of transcription factors. In response to cytokines and growth factors, STAT family members are phosphorylated by the receptor associated kinases, and then form homo- or heterodimers that translocate to the cell nucleus where they act as transcription activators. This protein is essential for mediating responses to IL12 in lymphocytes, and regulating the differentiation of T helper cells. Mutations in this gene may be associated with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. Alternate splicing results in multiple transcript variants that encode the same protein. [provided by RefSeq, Aug 2011].
