The nomenclature of chemokines

Abstract

Migration of leukocytes to injured tissues is a hallmark of inflammation. The recruitment phase of cells can be subdivided into three steps: the rolling phase, the firm adhesion phase, and the transendothelial migration phase. Each step is mediated by a complex interplay of endothelial/leukocyte surface molecule interactions (mostly of selectin and integrin families) as well as a group of small, secreted peptides, called chemokines. Chemokines activate on the one hand, the leukocytes to express the appropriate adhesion molecules and on the other hand, they lead to transendothelial migration via chemotaxis (migration along a gradient in solution) and haptotaxis (migration along a gradient bound to extracellular martrices or cell membranes). The structure, biology and pathobiology of the more than 22 known members of this group of soluble mediators, with a particular emphasis on their past and present nomenclature, is the topic of this minireview.