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[Home] [Cytokines] [Description] [Features & Philosophy] [Comparison] |
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[Class I] [Class II] [What is a Chemokine] [Chemokine Receptor Family] |
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Chemokines are a family of structurally related glycoproteins with potent leukocyte activation and/or chemotactic activity. They are 70 to 90 amino acids in length and approximately 8 to 10 kDa in molecular weight. Most of them fit into two subfamilies with four cysteine residues. These subfamilies are base on whether the two amino terminal cysteine residues are immediately adjacent or separated by one amino acid. The a chemokines, also known as CXC chemokines, contain a single amino acid between the first and second cysteine residues; ß, or CC, chemokines have adjacent cysteine residues. Most CXC chemokines are chemoattractants for neutrophils whereas CC chemokines generally attract monocytes, lymphocytes, basophils, and eosinophils. There are also 2 other small sub-groups. The C group has one member (lymphotactin). It lacks one of the cysteines in the four-cysteine motif, but shares homology at its carboxyl terminus with the C-C chemokines. The C chemokine seems to be lymphocyte specific. The fourth subgroup is the C-X3-C subgroup. The C-X3-C chemokine (fractalkine/neurotactin) has three amino acid residues between the first two cysteine. It is tethered directly to the cell membrane via a long mucin stalk and induces both adhesion and migration of leukocytes. |
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[Home] [Cytokines] [Description] [Features & Philosophy] [Comparison] |
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[Class I] [Class II] [What is a Chemokine] [Chemokine Receptor Family] |
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Pathology Course Menu | Pathology | NJMed P.C. | NJMS | Search | UMDNJ |
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Please direct questions and coments to Alexander G. Izaguirre izaguial@umdnj.edu |
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