Chemokines and their receptors
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Explore the roles, expression sites, associated receptors, and alternative names, for all major groups of chemoattractant cytokines.
Chemokines are classified into four main groups according to shared structural characteristics. The name is derived from their ability to induce directed chemotaxis in nearby responsive cells; they are chemoattractant cytokines. Some chemokines are considered proinflammatory and can be induced during an immune response to promote cells of the immune system to a site of infection, while others are considered homeostatic and are involved in controlling the migration of cells during normal processes of tissue maintenance or development. Chemokines are found in all vertebrates, some viruses, and some bacteria.
Chemokines exert their biological effects by interacting with G protein-linked transmembrane receptors, which are selectively found on the surfaces of their target cells.
