Book excerpt: How do you keep track of basic information on the proteins you work with? Where do you find details of their physicochemical properties, amino acid sequences, gene organization? Are you tired of scanning review articles, primary papers and databases to locate that elusive fact? The Academic Press FactsBook series will satisfy scientists and clinical researchers suffering from information overload. Each volume provides a catalogue of the essential properties of families of molecules. Gene organization, amino acid sequences, physicochemical properties, and biological activity are presented using a common, easy-to-follow format. Taken together they compile everything you wanted to know about proteins but were too busy to look for. More than 45 entries on human and murine cytokines and their receptors, including: * Cytokine receptor superfamilies * Interleukins 1-15 * Other cytokines * Additional information is provided on: * Alternative nomenclature * Cross reactivity * Sources * Bio assays * Physicochemical properties of the cytokines and their receptors * 3-D structure * Gene structure and chromosomal localisation * Amino acid sequences of the cytokines and their receptors * Receptors * Receptor distribution * Signal transduction * Chromosomal location of the receptors * References