title: Ectopic expression of the murine chemokines CCL21a and CCL21b induces the formation of lymph node-like structures in pancreas, but not skin, of transgenic mice.
abstract: The CC chemokine CCL21 is a potent chemoattractant for lymphocytes and dendritic cells in vitro. In the murine genome there are multiple copies of CCL21 encoding two CCL21 proteins that differ from each other by one amino acid at position 65 (either a serine or leucine residue). In this report, we examine the expression pattern and biological activities of both forms of CCL21. We found that although both serine and leucine forms are expressed in most tissues examined, the former was the predominant form in lymphoid organs while the latter was predominantly expressed in nonlymphoid organs. When expressed in transgenic pancreas, both forms of CCL21 were capable of inducing the formation of lymph node-like structures composed primarily of T and B cells and a few dendritic cells. Induction of lymph node-like structures by these CCL21 proteins, however, could not be reproduced in every tissue. For instance, no lymphocyte recruitment or accumulation was observed when CCL21 was overexpressed in the skin. We conclude that both forms of CCL21 protein are biologically equivalent in promoting lymphocyte recruitment to the pancreas, and that their ability to induce the formation of lymph node-like structures is dependent on the tissues in which they are expressed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Schering-Plough Research Institute, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA.
authors.forename: Shu-Cheng
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Galya
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vassileva
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kinsley
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Holzmann
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Manfra
authors.forename: Maria T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Wiekowski
authors.forename: Nikolaus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Romani
authors.forename: Sergio A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology; D054421:Chemokine CCL21; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D002828:Choristoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008822:Mice, Transgenic / Q000276:immunology*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D010179:Pancreas; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D019076:Transgenes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: C515479:Ccl21c protein, mouse; D054421:Chemokine CCL21; D019742:Chemokines, CC; D020033:Protein Isoforms