GRO-Alpha, also known as Growth-Regulated Oncogene Alpha (GRO-Alpha) or Melanoma Growth Stimulatory Activity Alpha (MGSA), is a chemokine belonging to the CXC chemokine family. It is encoded by the CXCL1 gene and plays a crucial role in various physiological and pathological processes, including inflammation, wound healing, and cancer progression.
GRO-Alpha is a small cytokine with a molecular weight of approximately 7.8 kDa . It consists of 73 amino acids and includes the ‘ELR’ motif, which is characteristic of the CXC chemokine family . The recombinant form of GRO-Alpha, often tagged with a His (histidine) tag for purification purposes, is produced in Escherichia coli (E. coli) expression systems .
GRO-Alpha is primarily known for its role in the recruitment and activation of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell essential for the immune response . It binds with high affinity to the IL-8 receptor type B (CXCR2), leading to the activation and chemotaxis of neutrophils to sites of tissue injury or infection . This chemokine is also involved in angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, which is critical for wound healing and tumor growth .
GRO-Alpha has been implicated in various diseases, including cancer, inflammatory conditions, and autoimmune disorders. Its overexpression has been observed in several types of cancer, such as melanoma, where it promotes tumor growth and metastasis . Additionally, GRO-Alpha is involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) .
Recombinant GRO-Alpha is widely used in research to study its biological functions and therapeutic potential. It is utilized in various assays, including chemotaxis assays, to investigate its role in immune cell recruitment and activation . The His tag facilitates the purification and detection of the recombinant protein, making it a valuable tool for biochemical and structural studies .