Selected-GenAtlas references SOURCE GeneCards NCBI Gene Swiss-Prot Ensembl
HGNC UniGene Nucleotide OMIM UCSC
Home Page
FLASH GENE
Symbol CCL21 contributors: mct/npt - updated : 11-02-2017
HGNC name chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 21
HGNC id 10620
EXPRESSION
Type widely
   expressed in (based on citations)
organ(s)
SystemOrgan level 1Organ level 2Organ level 3Organ level 4LevelPubmedSpeciesStageRna symbol
Cardiovascularheart   highly
 vessels    
Digestiveintestinesmall intestine  highly
Endocrinepancreas   lowly
 thyroid   moderately
Lymphoid/Immunelymph node   highly
Respiratoryrespiratory tracttrachea  moderately
tissue
SystemTissueTissue level 1Tissue level 2LevelPubmedSpeciesStageRna symbol
Connectiveadipose  highly
Connectivebone   
Epithelialsecretoryglandularendocrine 
Epithelialsecretoryglandularexocrine 
cells
SystemCellPubmedSpeciesStageRna symbol
Cardiovascularendothelial cell
cell lineage
cell lines
fluid/secretion
at STAGE
physiological period fetal
Text heart, spleen
PROTEIN
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES globular
STRUCTURE
motifs/domains
HOMOLOGY
interspecies homolog to murine Scya21b
Homologene
FAMILY intercrine beta (chemokine CC) family
CATEGORY signaling cytokine , receptor membrane
SUBCELLULAR LOCALIZATION extracellular
basic FUNCTION
  • lymphocyte chemoattractant, secondary lymphoid tissue chemokine
  • may also play a role in mediating homing of lymphocytes to secondary lymphoid organs
  • play a pivotal role in homing and localization of immune cells to lymphoid tissue and into organ of non-lymphoid origin
  • CCR7 and CCL21 contribute to the migratory capacity of the dendritic cells
  • CCL19/21 induced PI3K-dependent phosphorylation of Akt/protein kinase B, activation of the Rho/Rho-associated coiled-coil forming protein kinases/myosin light chain pathway and MAPKs phosphorylation
  • direct role for CCL21 in lymphatic transmigration that involves the selective use of integrin activation in inflammation
  • up-regulates microglia P2RX4 expression and initiates neuropathic pain development
  • CCL21 together with another CCR7 ligand, CCL19, direct the navigation and compartmentation of T cells within secondary lymphoid tissues
  • CCL21/CCR7 contributes to the time-dependent proliferation of non-small cell lung cancer cells by upregulating cyclin A, cyclin B1, and CDK1 potentially via the ERK pathway
  • CELLULAR PROCESS cell migration & motility
    PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESS
    PATHWAY
    metabolism
    signaling
    a component
  • part of CCL19, CCL21/CCR7 chemokine system expressed in inflamed muscles of polymyositis and may be involved in the pathomechanism of polymyositis
  • INTERACTION
    DNA
    RNA
    small molecule
    protein
  • high affinity functional ligand for chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7)
  • CCL21/CCR7 interaction significantly increased the fraction of cells in the G(2)/M phase of the cell cycle
  • CCR7 binds to its cognate ligand, CCL21, to mediate the migration of circulating naive T lymphocytes to the lymph nodes
  • recruits normal immune cells and metastasizing tumor cells to lymph nodes through activation of the G protein-coupled receptor CCR7
  • CCL21 is a GPR174 ligand (involved in sex-dependent control of B-cell positioning and participation in germinal centres)
  • cell & other
    REGULATION
    Other transiently down-regulated within lymphoid tissues during immune responses by a mechanism controlled by the cytokine interferon-gamma
    ASSOCIATED DISORDERS
    corresponding disease(s)
    Other morbid association(s)
    TypeGene ModificationChromosome rearrangementProtein expressionProtein Function
    constitutional     --over  
    in hepatitis C, to modulating lymphocyte recruitment and fibrosis
    constitutional     --over  
    specifically in hyperplastic Myasthenia gravis thymuses
    tumoral     --low  
    in colorectal adenocarcinomas
    Susceptibility to inflammatory polyarthritis (IP)
    Variant & Polymorphism other
  • CCL21 risk alleles was associated with premature mortality in IP
  • Candidate gene
    Marker
    Therapy target
    SystemTypeDisorderPubmed
    miscelleaneousurinarychronic kidney disease
    CCL21/CCR7 signaling of fibrocytes may provide therapeutic targets for combating renal fibrosis
    miscelleaneouspain 
    target to a preventive therapy in neuropathic pain
    ANIMAL & CELL MODELS
  • mice deficient for CCL21 did not develop any signs of tactile allodynia and failed to up-regulate microglial P2X4 receptor expression