| Modification Notes |
Structurally, C-C or b-chemokines are characterized by a set of conserved, adjacent cysteines. Members of this family include MCP-1, MCP-2, MCP-3, MIP-1å, MIP-1ß, RANTES and I-309. RANTES (regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted) is expressed by platelets, eosinophils, fibroblasts, macrophages, endothelial cells and T lymphocytes. Consistent with its belonging to the chemokine family, RANTES exhibits strong chemoattractant activity towards monocytes and NK cells. I-309 was initially identified as a factor present in g/d T lymphocytes. I-309 cDNA encodes a protein 73 amino acids in length with one potential N-linked glycosylation site. Unlike the other members of the C-C family, I-309 does not induce chemotaxis in natural killer (NK) cells. |