CCL21

Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 21 (CCL21) is a small cytokine belonging to the CC chemokine family. This chemokine is also known as 6Ckine (because it has six conserved cysteine residues instead of the four cysteines typical to chemokines), exodus-2, and secondary lymphoid-tissue chemokine (SLC). CCL21 is expressed predominantly in the lymph nodes and, in contrast to other CC chemokines, is chemotactic for lymphocytes. The gene for CCL21 is located on human chromosome 9. CCL21 elicits its effects by binding to a cell surface chemokine receptor known as CCR7.