protein_function: Chemotactic factor that attracts lymphocytes and,slightly, neutrophils, but not monocytes. Inhibits proliferationof myeloid progenitors in colony formation assays. May be involvedin formation and function of the mucosal lymphoid tissues byattracting lymphocytes and dendritic cells towards epithelialcells. C-terminal processed forms have been shown to be equallychemotactically active for leukocytes. Possesses antibacterialactivity E.coli ATCC 25922 and S.aureus ATCC 29213..
Macrophage Inflammatory Protein 3alpha(MIP3alpha), also called Chemokine, cc motif, ligand 20(CCL20). The MIP-3alpha,CCL20 gene was cloned and sequenced, revealing a four exon, three intron structure, and was localized by FISH analysis to 2q35-q36. MIP3alpha is predominantly expressed in lymph nodes, appendix, PBL, fetal liver, fetal lung and several cell lines. MIP3alpha,CCL20 and its receptor CCR6 are markedly up-regulated in psoriasis, and they may play a role in the recruitment of T cells to lesional psoriatic skin. And Alanine MIP-3alpha and Serine MIP-3alpha, the two forms of MIP3alpha, that differ by one amino acid at the predicted signal peptide cleavage site. Both of them were chemically synthesized and tested for biological activity. And both flu antigen plus IL-2-activated CD4(+) and CD8(+) T lymphoblasts and cord blood-derived dendritic cells responded to Ser and Ala MIP-3alpha.