A novel lipopolysaccharide inducible C‐C chemokine receptor related gene in murine macrophages

To identify genes induced in activated macrophages, we screened a cDNA library prepared from the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐treated cell line, RAW264, using the suppression subtractive hybridization technique. One of the clones isolated was dramatically induced by LPS in macrophages. The predicted protein sequence of this gene contains the domain unique to seven transmembrane receptors, and shows similarity with mouse C‐C chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5). Therefore, we designated it LPS inducible C‐C chemokine receptor related gene (L‐CCR). Northern blot analysis revealed that L‐CCR was specifically expressed in differentiated macrophages after LPS stimulation. These results show that L‐CCR is a novel C‐C chemokine receptor related gene induced by LPS in macrophages and may play an important role in inflammatory responses.