CXCL13
chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 13 (CXCL13), also known as B lymphocyte chemoattractant (BLC) or B cell-attracting chemokine 1 (BCA-1), is a protein ligand that in humans is encoded by the CXCL13 gene.
Function
CXCL13 is a small cytokine belonging to the CXC chemokine family. As its name suggests, this chemokine is selectively chemotactic for B cells belonging to both the B-1 and B-2 subsets, and elicits its effects by interacting with chemokine receptor CXCR5. CXCL13 and its receptor CXCR5 control the organization of B cells within follicles of lymphoid tissues. and is expressed highly in the liver, spleen, lymph nodes, and gut of humans. The gene for CXCL13 is located on human chromosome 4 in a cluster of other CXC chemokines.
In T lymphocytes, CXCL13 expression is thought to reflect a germinal center origin of the T cell, particularly a subset of T cells called follicular B helper T cells (or TFH cells). Hence, expression of CXCL13 in T-cell lymphomas, such as Angioimmunoblastic T-cell Lymphoma, is thought to reflect a germinal center origin of the neoplastic T-cells.
Human Genome Organisation
The Human Genome Organisation (HUGO) is an organization involved in the Human Genome Project, a project about mapping the human genome. HUGO was established in 1989 as an international organization, primarily to foster collaboration between genome scientists around the world. The HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC), sometimes referred to as "HUGO", is one of HUGO's most active committees and aims to assign a unique gene name and symbol to each human gene.
History
HUGO was established in late April 1988 at the first meeting dedicated to genome mapping at Cold Spring Harbor. The idea of starting the organization stemmed from a South African biologist by the name of Sydney Brenner, who is known for his significant contributions to work on the genetic code and other areas of molecular biology, as well as winning the Nobel prize in Physiology of Medicine in 2002. A Founding Council was elected at the meeting that total 42 scientists from 17 different countries. HUGO is grounded in Geneva Switzerland, and later went on to elect an additional 178 members, bringing the total up to 220.
Podcasts:
