Abstract
HLA region contains a set of genes that play crucial roles in the immune system. In addition to the central function of antigen-presentation, which is conducted by HLA class I and II genes, function of the other HLA-linked genes may also contribute to the immune regulation. IKBL, alternatively named as NFKBIL1, mapped within the HLA class III region is a newly emerged gene, of which sequence variations are associated with the susceptibility or resistance to autoimmune and/or inflammatory diseases. We recently have revealed that the IKBL-coded protein, IκBL, is involved in the regulation of alternative splicing in human immune-related genes and a viral gene, which unravel an unexpected function of the HLA-linked gene and provided a novel understanding of HLA in the regulation of immunity and infection. In this review, we summarize the latest trends in the study of IKBL.
