A. Zaballos et al., Cutting edge: Identification of the orphan chemokine receptor GPR-9-6 as CCR9, the receptor chemokine TECK, J IMMUNOL, 162(10), 1999, pp. 5671-5675
Thymus-expressed chemokine (TECK) has been reported to chemoattract dendrit
ic cells, thymocytes, and activated macrophages. Here, we show that TECK is
a specific agonist for a human orphan receptor called GPR-9-6, We have det
ermined the cDNA sequence of human GPR-9-6 and cloned the corresponding mur
ine cDNA, Human and murine GPR-9-6 expression is very high in the thymus an
d low in lymph nodes and spleen. RT-PCR analysis of murine GPR-9-6 expressi
on on murine FAGS-sorted thymocyte subpopulations showed that this gene is
expressed in both immature and mature T cells, Additions of human or murine
TECK to HEK 293/human GPR-9-6 and HEK 293/murine GPR-9-6 transfectants pro
voked intracytoplasmic calcium mobilization. Human TECK also induced the in
vitro migration of HEK 293/human GPR-9-6 cells. These results confirm that
GPR-9-6 is a specific receptor for TECK, According to the established nome
nclature system, we propose to rename GPR-9-6 as CC chemokine receptor 9 (C
CR9).