Abstract
Chemokines are small proteins that regulate different cellular functions, such as leukocyte activation, chemoattraction and inflammation. The chemokine CXCL14 (BRAK) is a highly conserved gene among species and through evolution. It has been shown that CXCL14 is locally upregulated during viral infections, also, it has been found that this chemokine possesses direct antibacterial activities. Nonetheless, the exact role that CXCL14 plays during infection remains elusive. CXCL14 deficient mice were generated in a C57B6/129 background and followed by phenotypic characterization. Later, the effect of CXCL14 deficiency during influenza infection and E. coli challenge was assessed. Other than a slight weight reduction, CXCL14 deficient mice exhibited no phenotypic alterations. CXCL14 deficiency did not influence the outcome of influenza virus infection or challenge with E. coli, and no statistically significant differences in clinical signs, cellular responses and histopathological findings were observed. CXCL14 does not seem to play a pivotal role during influenza and E. coli infections of the lung; these results are suggestive of functional overlap between CXCL14 and other chemokines that are present during lung infection.
Highlights
Chemokines are small proteins that regulate different cellular functions, such as leukocyte activation, chemoattraction and inflammation
The chemokine CXCL14 is highly conserved among different species [3] and it has been postulated to participate in a number of processes in which different leukocyte subsets play an essential role
Deletion of the targeted areas was confirmed by Southern blot (Figure 1B), and lack of CXCL14 expression in homozygous mice was assessed at the mRNA level (Figure 1D)
Summary
Chemokines are small proteins that regulate different cellular functions, such as leukocyte activation, chemoattraction and inflammation. Chemokines are a group of small proteins that are classified upon the position of four N-terminal cysteine residues and they interact with their cognate G-protein coupled receptors to activate specific cellular pathways Their main role is to activate a number of leukocyte functions, mostly chemotaxis and leukocyte-dependent immune responses [1]. Given that the CXCL14 signaling is pertussis toxin-dependent, the receptor for this chemokine is probably a G proteincoupled receptor; due the lack of competition with the other chemokines, it has been ruled out that the CXCR1-4 molecules participate in the signaling of CXCL14 [2] The characterization of this receptor is still an ongoing work that, when achieved, will allow researchers to delineate more precisely the cell subsets that are responsive to this chemokine and to identify the downstream signaling pathways that are involved. CXCL14 has chemotactic properties for immature dendritic cells and it regulates their maturation; these properties, together with the expression of CXCL14 in a broad range of tissues, have been related with the immune surveillance network against tumors [2] and Sidahmed et al – Role of CXCL14 in influenza and E. coli infections
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