Post-transcriptional regulation of cytokine signaling by AU-rich and GU-rich elements

Cytokines are necessary for cell communication to enable responses to external stimuli that are imperative for the survival and maintenance of homeostasis. Dysfunction of the cytokine network has detrimental effects on intra-and extracellular environments. Thus, it is critical that the expression of cytokines and the signals transmitted by cytokines to target cells are tightly regulated at numerous levels, including transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Here, we briefly summarize the role of AU-rich elements (AREs) in the regulation of cytokine gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and describe a role for GU-rich elements (GREs) in coordinating the regulation of cytokine signaling. GREs function as post-transcriptional regulators of proteins that control cellular activation, growth, and apoptosis. GREs and AREs work in concert to coordinate cytokine signal transduction pathways. The precise regulation of cytokine signaling is particularly important, because its dysregulation can lead to human diseases.