CXC chemokine receptors


CXC chemokine receptors are integral membrane proteins that specifically bind and respond to cytokines of the CXC chemokine family. They represent one subfamily of chemokine receptors, a large family of G protein-linked receptors that are known as seven transmembrane proteins, since they span the cell membrane seven times. There are currently seven known CXC chemokine receptors in mammals, named CXCR1 through CXCR7.

CXCR1 and CXCR2

and CXCR2 are closely related receptors that recognize CXC chemokines that possess an E-L-R amino acid motif immediately adjacent to their CXC motif. CXCL8 and CXCL6 can both bind CXCR1 in humans, while all other ELR-positive chemokines, such as CXCL1 to CXCL7 bind only CXCR2. They are both expressed on the surface of neutrophils in mammals.

CXCR3

is expressed predominantly on T cells, and also on other lymphocytes and is highly induced following cell activation. There are two isoforms, CXCR3-A and CXCR3-B. It has three highly related ligands in mammals, CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL11.

CXCR4

is the receptor for a chemokine known as CXCL12 and, as with CCR5, is utilized by HIV-1 to gain entry into target cells. This receptor has a wide cellular distribution, with expression on most immature and mature hematopoietic cell types. In addition, CXCR4 can also be found on vascular endothelial cells and neuronal/nerve cells.

CXCR5

The chemokine receptor CXCR5 is expressed on B cells and CD4+ Tfh cells and is involved in lymphocyte homing and the development of normal lymphoid tissue. Its principal ligand is CXCL13.

CXCR6

CXCR6 was formerly called three different names before being assigned CXCR6 based on its chromosomal location and its similarity to other chemokine receptors in its gene sequence. CXCR6 binds the ligand CXCL16. However, CXCR6 is more closely related in structure to CC chemokine receptors than to other CXC chemokine receptors.

CXCR7

was originally called RDC-1 but has since been shown to cause chemotaxis in T lymphocytes in response to CXCL12 prompting the renaming of this molecule as CXCR7. CXCR7 was recently renamed ACKR3. There is no information publicly available to confirm whether this designation has been accepted by the IUIS/WHO Subcommittee on Chemokine Nomenclature at this time. This receptor has also been identified on memory B cells.