This antimicrobial gene encodes a protein thought to be involved in T cell trafficking. The encoded protein binds to C-X-C motif chemokine 3 and is a chemoattractant for lymphocytes but not for neutrophils.

Accumulated experimental evidence supports that monokine induced by interferon (IFN)‐gamma (CXCL9), a member of CXC chemokine family and known to attract CXCR3‐ (CXCR3‐A and CXCR3‐B) T lymphocytes, is involved in the pathogenesis of a variety of physiologic diseases during their initiation and their maintenance.