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Synonyms

Chemotactic factors, chemotaxins.

Definition

Lipid molecules or peptides that induce directed migration of cells.

Full Text

Chemoattractants share the common property of inducing directed migration of cells. Binding of chemoattractant to cell surface receptors triggers the activation of cellular cytoskeletal events that result in the migration of cells in the direction of highest concentration of the chemoattractant. Chemoattractants include bacterial peptides (formylated methionine-leucine-phenylalanine), products of complement activation (C5a), extracellular matrix degradation products (laminin digests), arachidonic acid metabolites (leukotriene B4), other lipid mediators (platelet activating factors), and a large number of small molecular weight (<10kd) cytokines (CC, C-X-C, C-X-C3, and C chemokines). A given cell type may respond to one or more chemoattractant agents for which it expresses cell surface receptors.

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References

  • Taub DD (1996) C-C chemokines–an overview. In: Koch AE, Strieter RM (eds) Chemokines in Disease. RG Landes, Austin p 27

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  • Walz A, Kunkel SL, Strieter RM (1996) C-X-C chemokines–an overview. In: Koch AE, Strieter RM (eds) Chemokines in Disease. RG Landes, Austin p 1

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  • Williams LT, Snyderman R, Pike LC, Lefkowitz RJ (1977) Specific receptor sites for chemotactic peptides on polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 74:1204

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© 2004 Springer-Verlag

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(2004). Chemoattractants. In: Moreland, L.W. (eds) Rheumatology and Immunology Therapy. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-29662-X_646

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-29662-X_646

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-20625-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-29662-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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