Human Recombinant GRO-alpha (CXCL1)

GRO (growth-regulated oncogene)-alpha or CXCL1 is a member of the CXC family, which plays an integral role in recruitment and activation of neutrophils in response to tissue injury and microbial infection. GRO-alpha was initially identified by its growth stimulatory activity on malignant melanoma cells (Anisowicz et al.; Bechara et al.). GRO-alpha is closely related to GRO-beta (CXCL2), GRO-gamma (CXCL3), and interleukin 8 (CXCL8). Receptor-binding studies have demonstrated that GRO-alpha, -beta, and -gamma signal mainly through G protein-coupled receptor CXCR2 (Ahuja & Murphy). GRO-alpha is expressed in epithelial cells, monocytes, fibroblasts, and melanocytes, and is further induced during inflammatory, epithelialization, and angiogenic processes, such as during healing of human burn wounds (Zaja-Milatovic & Richmond). GRO-alpha, along with CXCL8, has been found to be critical for neutrophil mobilization and degranulation, as well as for vascular permeabilization and angiogenesis (Rudack et al.). GRO-alpha also stimulates mitogenesis in certain human melanoma cells (Unemori et al.).