Glycoprotein 130 (also known as gp130, IL6ST, IL6-beta, or CD130) is a signaling receptor element shared by the cytokine IL-6 family of functional receptor complexes and belongs to the class I cytokine receptor family. The protein encoded by this gene is a signal transducer shared by several cytokines, including interleukin 6 (IL6), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), and oncosuppressor M (OSM), and the activation of this protein is dependent on the binding of the cytokine to its receptors.IL-6 or IL-11 binds to membrane-anchored or soluble IL-6r or IL- respectively 11r binding, which initiates the binding of IL-6r (IL-11r) to gp130. For other IL-6 family cytokines, such as LIF and OSM, signaling is similarly activated by the heterodimerization of gp130 with LIF R or OSM R. Knockout studies in mice have shown that the gene encoding this protein plays a key role in the regulation of cardiomyocyte apoptosis.