Overview and potential unifying themes of the atypical chemokine receptor family

• Published in: Journal of leukocyte biology Vol. 99; no. 6; pp. 883 - 892
• Main Authors: Vacchini, Alessandro, Locati, Massimo, Borroni, Elena Monica
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-06-2016
• Subjects: Animals; expression; G protein coupled receptor; Gene Expression Profiling; Humans; Protein Transport; Receptors, Chemokine - classification; Receptors, Chemokine - genetics; Receptors, Chemokine - metabolism; Signal Transduction; signaling; trafficking; β‐arrestin; expression; signaling; β-arrestin; G protein coupled receptor; trafficking
• ISSN: 0741-5400; 1938-3673
• DOI: 10.1189/jlb.2MR1015-477R

Review of ACKR biochemical and immunological properties to identify unifying themes in this emerging family.
Chemokines modulate immune responses through their ability to orchestrate the migration of target cells. Chemokines directly induce cell migration through a distinct set of 7 transmembrane domain G protein‐coupled receptors but are also recognized by a small subfamily of atypical chemokine receptors, characterized by their inability to support chemotactic activity. Atypical chemokine receptors are now emerging as crucial regulatory components of chemokine networks in a wide range of physiologic and pathologic contexts. Although a new nomenclature has been approved recently to reflect their functional distinction from their conventional counterparts, a systematic view of this subfamily is still missing. This review discusses their biochemical and immunologic properties to identify potential unifying themes in this emerging family.