Lecture 10 - Immune Cell Migration

Question 1

What are chemokines?

Answer 1

Chemokines are CHEMOtactic cytoKINES

Secreted molecules that bind cell surface GAGs (glycosaminoglycans) + extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins

Tethered chemokines form immobilised concentration gradients

Target cells express chemokine receptors = 7 t/m span

Chemokine receptors coupled to heterotrimeric G proteins

Question 2

Describe how chemokine chemotaxis takes place

Answer 2

GAGs are on surface bound to chemokine producing cell, lots of chemokines bound here. Those that leave the cell anchored to extracellular matrix - natural gradient. The target cell expresses a chemokine receptor for the specific chemokine -cytoskeletal rearrangement as a result of binding - target cell migrates along chemokine gradient towards the source