LEUKOCYTE MIGRATION AND ACTIVATION BY MURINE CHEMOKINES

Chemokines are a family of chemotactic cytokines which attract differe nt types of leukocytes. This property, combined with some additional i nflammatory and growth-regulatory activities, demonstrate their crucia l role in the immune system. Chemokines are low molecular weight prote ins and possess a typical positioning of four conserved cysteines. Thi s family is further subdivided in two subfamilies depending on whether the first two cysteines are adjacent or not (CC and CXC chemokines, r espectively). The CXC chemokines (including interleukin-8) predominant ly attract neutrophils, whereas CC chemokines induce migration of mono cytes, as well as other leukocyte cell types. In this article, the gen eral characteristics of chemokines are reviewed. Furthermore, the muri ne CC chemokines, JE/MCP-1, MCP-3/MARC, MIP-1 alpha, MIP-1 beta, RANTE S, TCA3, C10/MRP-1, MRP-2, and eotaxin, are discussed more in detail.