Related Research Articles
Chemokines, or chemotactic cytokines, are a family of small cytokines or signaling proteins secreted by cells that induce directional movement of leukocytes, as well as other cell types, including endothelial and epithelial cells. In addition to playing a major role in the activation of host immune responses, chemokines are important for biological processes, including morphogenesis and wound healing, as well as in the pathogenesis of diseases like cancers.
Chemokine ligand 5 is a protein which in humans is encoded by the CCL5 gene. The gene has been discovered in 1990 by in situ hybridisation and it is localised on 17q11.2-q12 chromosome. It is also known as RANTES. RANTES was first described by Dr. Tom Schall who named the protein, the original source of the name Rantes was from the Argentine movie Man Facing Southeast about an alien who shows up in a mental ward who was named Rantés, the rather clunky acronym was only made to fit the name.
Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins (MIP) belong to the family of chemotactic cytokines known as chemokines. In humans, there are two major forms, MIP-1α and MIP-1β that are now officially named CCL3 and CCL4, respectively. However, other names can sometimes be encountered, especially in older literature, as LD78α, AT 464.1 and GOS19-1 for human CCL3 and AT 744, Act-2, LAG-1, HC21 and G-26 for human CCL4. Other macrophage inflammatory proteins include MIP-2, MIP-3 and MIP-5.
Chemokine ligands 4 previously known as macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP-1β), is a protein which in humans is encoded by the CCL4 gene. CCL4 belongs to a cluster of genes located on 17q11-q21 of the chromosomal region. Identification and localization of the gene on the chromosome 17 was in 1990 although the discovery of MIP-1 was initiated in 1988 with the purification of a protein doublet corresponding to inflammatory activity from supernatant of endotoxinstimulated murine macrophages. At that time, it was also named as "macrophage inflammatory protein-1" (MIP-1) due to its inflammatory properties.
Chemokine ligand 1 (CCL1) is also known as small inducible cytokine A1 and I-309 in humans. CCL1 is a small glycoprotein that belongs to the CC chemokine family.
Chemokine ligand 7 (CCL7) is a small cytokine that was previously called monocyte-chemotactic protein 3 (MCP3). CCL7 is a small protein that belongs to the CC chemokine family and is most closely related to CCL2.
Chemokine ligand 8 (CCL8), also known as monocyte chemoattractant protein 2 (MCP2), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CCL8 gene.
Chemokine ligand 13 (CCL13) is a small cytokine belonging to the CC chemokine family. Its gene is located on human chromosome 17 within a large cluster of other CC chemokines. CCL13 induces chemotaxis in monocytes, eosinophils, T lymphocytes, and basophils by binding cell surface G-protein linked chemokine receptors such as CCR2, CCR3 and CCR5. Activity of this chemokine has been implicated in allergic reactions such as asthma. CCL13 can be induced by the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 and TNF-α.
Chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20) or liver activation regulated chemokine (LARC) or Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-3 (MIP3A) is a small cytokine belonging to the CC chemokine family. It is strongly chemotactic for lymphocytes and weakly attracts neutrophils. CCL20 is implicated in the formation and function of mucosal lymphoid tissues via chemoattraction of lymphocytes and dendritic cells towards the epithelial cells surrounding these tissues. CCL20 elicits its effects on its target cells by binding and activating the chemokine receptor CCR6.
Chemokine ligand 18 (CCL18) is a small cytokine belonging to the CC chemokine family. The functions of CCL18 have been well studied in laboratory settings, however the physiological effects of the molecule in living organisms have been difficult to characterize because there is no similar protein in rodents that can be studied. The receptor for CCL18 has been identified in humans only recently, which will help scientists understand the molecule's role in the body.
Chemokine ligand 16 (CCL16) is a small cytokine belonging to the CC chemokine family that is known under several pseudonyms, including Liver-expressed chemokine (LEC) and Monotactin-1 (MTN-1). This chemokine is expressed by the liver, thymus, and spleen and is chemoattractive for monocytes and lymphocytes. Cellular expression of CCL16 can be strongly induced in monocytes by IL-10, IFN-γ and bacterial lipopolysaccharide. Its gene is located on chromosome 17, in humans, among a cluster of other CC chemokines. CCL16 elicits its effects on cells by interacting with cell surface chemokine receptors such as CCR1, CCR2, CCR5 and CCR8.
CCL17 is a powerful chemokine produced in the thymus and by antigen-presenting cells like dendritic cells, macrophages, and monocytes. CCL17 plays a complex role in cancer. It attracts T-regulatory cells allowing for some cancers to evade an immune response. However, in other cancers, such as melanoma, an increase in CCL17 is linked to an improved outcome. CCL17 has also been linked to autoimmune and allergic diseases.
Chemokine ligand 19 (CCL19) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CCL19 gene.
Chemokine ligand 23 (CCL23) is a small cytokine belonging to the CC chemokine family that is also known as Macrophage inflammatory protein 3 (MIP-3) and Myeloid progenitor inhibitory factor 1 (MPIF-1). CCL23 is predominantly expressed in lung and liver tissue, but is also found in bone marrow and placenta. It is also expressed in some cell lines of myeloid origin. CCL23 is highly chemotactic for resting T cells and monocytes and slightly chemotactic for neutrophils. It has also been attributed to an inhibitory activity on hematopoietic progenitor cells. The gene for CCL23 is located on human chromosome 17 in a locus containing several other CC chemokines. CCL23 is a ligand for the chemokine receptor CCR1.
CC chemokine receptors are integral membrane proteins that specifically bind and respond to cytokines of the CC chemokine family. They represent one subfamily of chemokine receptors, a large family of G protein-linked receptors that are known as seven transmembrane (7-TM) proteins since they span the cell membrane seven times. To date, ten true members of the CC chemokine receptor subfamily have been described. These are named CCR1 to CCR10 according to the IUIS/WHO Subcommittee on Chemokine Nomenclature.
C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2 or CD192 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CCR2 gene. CCR2 is a CC chemokine receptor.
C-C chemokine receptor type 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CCR1 gene.
Chemokine receptor 6 also known as CCR6 is a CC chemokine receptor protein which in humans is encoded by the CCR6 gene. CCR6 has also recently been designated CD196. The gene is located on the long arm of Chromosome 6 (6q27) on the Watson (plus) strand. It is 139,737 bases long and encodes a protein of 374 amino acids.
C-C motif chemokine 4-like is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CCL4L1 gene.
Chemokine ligand 3-like 1, also known as CCL3L1, is a protein which in humans is encoded by the CCL3L1 gene.
References
- ↑ Pardigol et al. HCC-2, a human chemokine: gene structure, expression pattern, and biological activity. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 95: 6308-6313, 1998.
- ↑ Youn et al. Molecular cloning of leukotactin-1: a novel human beta-chemokine, a chemoattractant for neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes, and a potent agonist at CC chemokine receptors 1 and 3. J. Immun. 159: 5201-5205, 1997.
- ↑ Coulin et al. Characterization of macrophage inflammatory protein-5/human CC cytokine-2, a member of the macrophage-inflammatory-protein family of chemokines. Europ. J. Biochem. 248: 507-515, 1997.
- ↑ Naruse et al. A YAC contig of the human CC chemokine genes clustered on chromosome 17q11.2. Genomics 34: 236-240, 1996.
