STRL22 IS A RECEPTOR FOR THE CC-CHEMOKINE-MIP-3-ALPHA

STRL22 is a human seven transmembrane domain orphan receptor related t o known chemokine receptors and expressed in peripheral blood lymphocy tes, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and lymphoid tissues. MIP-3 alpha/ LARC/Exodus is a CC chemokine that is chemotactic for lymphocytes and that is expressed in activated cells, including monocytes, T cells, en dothelial cells, and fibroblasts, and in liver, lung, and some lymphoi d tissues. We report here that STRL22-transfected human embryonic kidn ey 293 cells demonstrated specific binding for MIP-3 alpha and that MI P-3 alpha, but no other chemokines, produced a calcium flux in freshly -isolated peripheral blood lymphocytes and we show that MIP-3 alpha al so produced a signal in tumor infiltrating lymphocytes that express ST RL22. Since STRL22 is the sixth functional CC chemokine receptor ident ified, it should be re-named CCR6. (C) 1997 Academic Press.