Fractalkine also known as chemokine (C-X3-C motif) ligand 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CX3CL1 gene. Fractalkine is a large cytokine protein of 373 amino acids, it contains multiple domains and is the only known member of the CX3C chemokine family. It is also commonly known under the names fractalkine (in humans) and neurotactin (in mice). Fractalkine is found commonly throughout the brain, particularly in neural cells, and its receptor is known to be present on microglial cells. It has also been found to be essential for microglial cell migration.
Soluble CX3CL1 potently chemoattracts T cells and monocytes, while the cell-bound chemokine promotes strong adhesion of leukocytes to activated endothelial cells, where it is primarily expressed. CX3CL1 elicits its adhesive and migratory functions by interacting with the chemokine receptor CX3CR1. Its gene is located on human chromosome 16 along with some CC chemokines known as CCL17 and CCL22.
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