Automated description from the Alliance of Genome Resources (Release 7.0.0)
Enables cytokine activity. Involved in several processes, including negative regulation of apoptotic process; negative regulation of vascular associated smooth muscle cell proliferation; and positive regulation of sprouting angiogenesis. Acts upstream of or within several processes, including cellular response to hepatocyte growth factor stimulus; negative regulation of cytokine production; and response to bacterium. Located in extracellular space. Is expressed in colon; liver; mandible; thymus; and thymus primordium. Used to study inflammatory bowel disease. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in several diseases, including artery disease (multiple); autoimmune disease (multiple); eye disease (multiple); gastrointestinal system cancer (multiple); and hematologic cancer (multiple). Orthologous to human IL10 (interleukin 10).