MCP-4

Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-4 (MCP-4), is a CC chemokine that acts as a chemoattractant for monocytes, eosinophils and T cells and as an activator of basophils. Human MCP-4/CCL13 cDNA encodes a 98 amino acid residue precursor protein with a 23 amino acid residue hydrophobic signal peptide that is cleaved to yield an 8 kDa, 75 aa mature CCL13. Mature MCP-4 lacks any potential N-glycosylation sites and shares a pyroglutamate proline motif with other human MCP proteins. Human MCP-4 is most homologous to MCP-1, -3 and Eotaxin, exhibiting approximately 65-66% amino acid sequence identity. CCL13 or MCP-4 mRNA is expressed by a number of activated cell types, including endothelial cells, macrophages, bronchial epithelium and type II alveolar cells, and perhaps lymphocytes. The bioactivities of MCP-4 are mediated by the CC chemokine receptors CCR2 and CCR3.