SDF-1 (biology)

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SDF-1 (stromal cell-derived factors) 1-alpha and 1-beta are small cytokines that belong to the chemokine family, members of which activate leukocytes and are often induced by proinflammatory stimuli such as lipopolysaccharide, TNF-α, or IL-1. Chemokines are characterized by the presence of four conserved cysteines, which form two disulfide bonds. The SDF-1 proteins belong to the group of CXC chemokines, whose initial pair of cysteines are separated by an intervening amino acid. As another role, SDF-1α alters also the electrophysiology of neurons. SDF-1 is officially known as CXC chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12). The receptor for this chemokine is CXCR4.