About IL-1 beta
The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the interleukin 1 cytokine family. This cytokine is produced by activated macrophages as a proprotein, which is proteolytically processed to its active form by caspase 1 (CASP1/ICE). This cytokine is an important mediator of the inflammatory response, and is involved in a variety of cellular activities, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The induction of cyclooxygenase-2 (PTGS2/COX2) by this cytokine in the central nervous system (CNS) is found to contribute to inflammatory pain hypersensitivity. Similarly, IL-1B has been implicated in human osteoarthritis pathogenesis. Patients with severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) present elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1B in bronchial alveolar lavage fluid samples. The lung damage induced by the Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is to a large extent, a result of the inflammatory response promoted by cytokines such as IL-1B. This gene and eight other interleukin 1 family genes form a cytokine gene cluster on chromosome 2. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2020]

About Janelia Fluor 549
Janelia Fluor® 549 was developed at the Janelia Campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute but is commercialized by other vendors. The Janelia Fluor®s family is unique in that the fluorophores are cell-permeable and are available in photoactivatable forms. These fluorophores were developed for super-resolution microscopy (STED, PALM and STORM) and live-cell microscopy in the HaloTag and SNAP-tag versions. Janelia Fluor® 549 has an excitation peak at 549 nm and an emission peak at 571 nm.