GRO alpha/CXCL1, Human

Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1) is a small cytokine belonging to the CXC chemokine family that was previously called GRO1 oncogene, GRO-alpha, KC, neutrophil-activating protein 3 (NAP-3) and melanoma growth stimulating activity, alpha (MSGA-alpha). Human GRO-alpha, GRO-beta (MIP2alpha),and GRO-gamma (MIP2beta)are products of three distinct, nonallelichuman genes. GRO-beta and GRO-gamma share 90% and 86% amino acid sequence homology with GROalpha, respectively. All three isoforms of GRO are CXC chemokines that can signal through the CXCR1 or CXCR2 receptors. GRO expression is inducible by serum or PDGF and/or by a variety of inflammatory mediators, such as IL-1 and TNF, in monocytes, fibroblasts, melanocytes and epithelial cells. In certain tumor cell lines, GRO is expressed constitutively. Similar to other alpha chemokines, the three GRO proteins are potent neutrophil attractants and activators. Additionally, these chemokines are also active toward basophils.All three GROs can bind with high affinity to the IL-8 receptor type B.