Macrophage Inflammatory Protein 5 (MIP5)

Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 15 (CCL15) is a small cytokine belonging to the CC chemokine family that is also known as leukotactin-1, MIP5 and HCC-2. CCL15 is expressed in liver, small intestine, colon, and in certain leukocytes and macrophages of the lung. It is chemotactic for neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes and elicits its effects by binding to cell surface chemokine receptors like CCR1 and CCR3.

The human CCL15 gene spans four exons and is located in a head-to-tail orientation on chromosome 17 with the gene of another CC chemokine known as CCL14.Chemokines are secreted proteins involved in immunoregulatory and inflammatory processes. The putative mature LKN1 is composed of 92 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 10,162 Da.