Conservation of IL-6 trans-signaling mechanisms controlling L-selectin adhesion by fever-range thermal stress.

Fever is associated with improved survival during infection in endothermic and ectothermic species although the protective mechanisms are largely undefined. Previous studies indicate that fever-range thermal stress increases the binding activity of the L-selectin homing receptor in human or mouse leukocytes, thereby promoting trafficking to lymphoid tissues across high endothelial venules (HEV). Here, we examined the evolutionary conservation of thermal regulation of L-selectin-like adhesion.