CC chemokine receptor-coupled signalling pathways.

The isolation and characterization of multiple CC chemokine receptors (CCRs) in a wide range of tissues and cells signifies the functional diversity of CC chemokines. The realization that multiple chemokines activate individual receptors and that some chemokines are functional at several different CCRs, indicates that interplay between a complex network of intracellular pathways is required for the full expression of the physiological function of each ligand. In different cellular environments, chemokines can regulate distinct second messengers or even positively or negatively regulate the same signal transduction pathway. The specific interactions between many signalling molecules have been discerned in an increasing number of cellular systems and this information is being used to explain the physiological actions of chemokines. This review will attempt to summarize recent research by many groups that has revealed numerous subtleties of the CC chemokine-coupled signalling pathways.