C-C motif chemokine 2 (CCL2) is a member of the C-C or β chemokine family. Mouse CCL2 shares 82% amino acid (aa) identity with rat CCL2 over the entire sequence, and 58%, 56%, 55%, 53% and 53% aa identity with human, equine, porcine, bovine and canine CCL2, respectively. Fibroblasts, glioma cells, smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, lymphocytes and mononuclear phagocytes can produce CCL2 either constitutively or upon mitogenic stimulation, but monocytes and macrophages appear to be the major source. In addition to its chemotactic activity, CCL2 induces enzyme and cytokine release by monocytes, NK cells and lymphocytes, and histamine release by basophils that express its receptor, CCR2. Additionally, it promotes Th2 polarization in CD4+ T cells. CCL2-mediated recruitment of monocytes to sites of inflammation is proposed to play a role in the pathology of atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis and allergic asthma.
