HCC-1 (Human CC chemokine 1), also designated CCL14 or chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 14, is a truncated isoform of the CC chemokine family. The 66-amino acid (66 a.a.) variant represents a processed form of the full-length 74 a.a. protein, generated through N-terminal cleavage . This isoform is critical in immune regulation, exhibiting distinct biological activities compared to its full-length counterparts.
Constitutively expressed in normal tissues, unlike inducible chemokines .
Bicistronic transcripts with CCL15 (a neighboring chemokine gene) have been identified .
Binds to CCR1, CCR3, and CCR5, shared with MIP-1α and RANTES .
The 66 a.a. isoform exhibits enhanced chemotactic activity over the 74 a.a. form .
Immune Regulation:
Disease Relevance:
Functional Comparison with Full-Length HCC-1:
Feature | 74 a.a. HCC-1 | 66 a.a. HCC-1 |
---|---|---|
Chemotaxis | Inactive | Active (monocytes, eosinophils, T-cells) |
Receptor affinity | Lower | Higher (CCR1, CCR3, CCR5) |
Plasma concentration | 1–80 nM | Present in processed forms |
Here’s a structured collection of FAQs tailored for academic researchers studying HCC-1 Human (66 a.a.), based on analysis of peer-reviewed literature and experimental methodologies:
How can contradictory findings about HCC-1’s role in tumorigenesis vs. immune modulation be resolved?
Key Conflict: HCC-1 promotes monocyte recruitment (pro-tumorigenic in HCC models ) but suppresses colony formation in hematopoietic progenitors (anti-proliferative ).
Resolution Strategy:
Use conditional knockout mice with HCC-1 deletion in specific cell lineages (e.g., hepatocytes vs. myeloid cells) to isolate context-dependent effects .
Perform transcriptomic profiling of HCC-1-exposed tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) to identify signaling bifurcations (e.g., IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 vs. VEGF) .
What in vivo models best recapitulate HCC-1’s dual role in immune activation and tumor progression?
How can researchers address variability in HCC-1 (66 a.a.) bioactivity across experimental batches?
What strategies improve HCC-1 (66 a.a.) stability in long-term functional studies?
How can HCC-1’s interaction with VEGF/STAT3 pathways be exploited for combination therapies?
What computational tools are available to map HCC-1 signaling networks in HCC?
HCC-1, also known as CCL14, is a member of the CC chemokine family. Chemokines are small cytokines or signaling proteins secreted by cells. The primary function of chemokines is to induce chemotaxis in nearby responsive cells. HCC-1 is particularly known for its role in attracting monocytes, a type of white blood cell, to sites of inflammation or injury.
The gene encoding HCC-1 is located on chromosome 17q11.2. This gene is part of a cluster of CC cytokine genes. The protein itself is composed of 66 amino acids, resulting in a molecular weight of approximately 7.8 kDa . The amino acid sequence includes four highly conserved residues typical of CC chemokines .
HCC-1 signals through the CCR1 receptor and is known to chemoattract blood monocytes . It induces changes in intracellular calcium concentration and enzyme release in monocytes . This chemokine plays a crucial role in the immune response by directing monocytes to sites where they are needed, such as areas of tissue damage or infection.
Recombinant HCC-1 is widely used in research to study its role in immune response and inflammation. It is particularly useful in functional assays to investigate its ability to chemoattract human monocytes . The protein is also used to explore the signaling pathways activated by the CCR1 receptor and to understand the broader implications of chemokine signaling in health and disease.