Description
Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 6 (CXCL6) is a small cytokine belonging to the CXC chemokine family that is also known as granulocyte chemotactic protein 2 (GCP-2). As its former name suggests, CXCL6 is a chemoattractant for neutrophilic granulocytes.1,2 It elicits its chemotactic effects by interacting with the chemokine receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2.2 CXCL6 possesses antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria of relevance to mucosal infections. CXCL6 causes membrane disruption in a dose-dependent manner. This is reduced in the presence of NaCl, which inhibits the binding of the peptide to the bacterial surface.3 CXCL6, in addition to its chemotactic and angiogenic properties, is likely to contribute to direct antibacterial activity during localized infection and thus plays a role in innate immunity