Molecular Cloning of TER1, a Chemokine Receptor-Like Gene Expressed by Lymphoid Tissues (original) (raw)

The Journal of Immunology

Several chemokine receptors have been cloned and shown to belong to a superfamily of seven transmembrane, G proteincoupled receptors. We report here the molecular cloning of TERl, a novel human chemokine receptor-like gene. The amino acid sequence deduced from the TER7 cDNA shows 43, 40, 40, and 39% identity to CCR4, CCR5, CCR1, and CCR2B p chemokine receptors, respectively. By the use of fluorescent in situ hybridization, we have mapped the TERl gene to chromosome 3p21, clustered with other chemokine receptor genes. By Northern blot analysis, TER7 mRNA is found to be expressed in the thymus, spleen, and at barely detectable levels in peripheral blood lymphocytes. Moreover, TERl message is abundant in the N K cell line NK3.3 and in the T cell line MOLT-4. The restricted TERI expression in cells and tissues of the lymphoid lineage suggests that this receptor may play a role in regulating immune functions.