Chemokines
Chemokines (C, CC, CXC, CX3X) belong to the group of cytokines, they possess characteristic chemotactic activity in chemokine dependent sets target cells (PMN cells, monocytes etc.) of vertebrates.
Chemotactic effect of these auto- and paracrine ligands was investigated by us. Data showed that three representative chemokines/cytokines (IL-8, RANTES and tunos necrosis factor alpha) have a concentration dependent chemoattractant moiety still in the unicellular Tetrahymena.
Overlapping of the maximal effective concentrations of the chemokine elicited processes in vertebrates and the tested Ciliate call attention that signalling of chemokines have deep phylogenetical backgrounds.
