Chemokine ligand 12 (CCL12) is a small cytokine

Cytokine

Cytokines are small cell-signaling protein molecules that are secreted by the glial cells of the nervous system and by numerous cells of the immune system and are a category of signaling molecules used extensively in intercellular communication...

 belonging to the CC chemokine

Chemokine

Chemokines are a family of small cytokines, or proteins secreted by cells. Their name is derived from their ability to induce directed chemotaxis in nearby responsive cells; they are chemotactic cytokines...

 family that has been described in mice. It is also known as monocyte chemotactic protein 5 (MCP-5) and, due to its similarity with the human chemokine MCP-1

CCL2

For the ICAO airport code see Candle Lake Airpark, for the diradical compound see Dichlorocarbene.Chemokine ligand 2 also known as monocyte chemotactic protein-1 or small inducible cytokine A2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CCL2 gene. CCL2 is a small cytokine belonging to the CC...

, sometimes it is called MCP-1-related chemokine. CCL12 specifically attracts eosinophils, monocyte

Monocyte

Monocytes are a type of white blood cell and are part of the innate immune system of vertebrates including all mammals , birds, reptiles, and fish. Monocytes play multiple roles in immune function...

s and lymphocyte

Lymphocyte

A lymphocyte is a type of white blood cell in the vertebrate immune system.Under the microscope, lymphocytes can be divided into large lymphocytes and small lymphocytes. Large granular lymphocytes include natural killer cells...

s. This chemokine is found predominately in lymph node

Lymph node

A lymph node is a small ball or an oval-shaped organ of the immune system, distributed widely throughout the body including the armpit and stomach/gut and linked by lymphatic vessels. Lymph nodes are garrisons of B, T, and other immune cells. Lymph nodes are found all through the body, and act as...

s and thymus

Thymus

The thymus is a specialized organ of the immune system. The thymus produces and "educates" T-lymphocytes , which are critical cells of the adaptive immune system....

 under normal conditions, and its expression can be hugely induced in macrophages. It is thought to coordinate cell movements during early allergic reactions, and immune response

Immune system

An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...

 to pathogens. The gene

Gene

A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...

 for CCL12 is found in a cluster of CC chemokines on mouse chromosome

Chromosome

A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and protein found in cells. It is a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Chromosomes also contain DNA-bound proteins, which serve to package the DNA and control its functions.Chromosomes...

11.