SDF-1 a and SDF-1 ß, members of the chemokine a subfamily that lack the ELR domain, were initially identified using the signal sequence trap cloning strategy from a mouse bone-marrow stromal cell line. SDF-1 a and SDF-1 ß cDNAs encode precursor proteins of 89 and 93 amino acid residues, respectively. Both SDF-1 a and SDF-1 ß are encoded by a single gene and arise by alternative splicing. The two proteins are identical except for the four amino acid residues that are present in the carboxy-terminus of SDF-1 ß and absent from SDF-1 a. SDF-1/PBSF is highly conserved between species, with only one amino acid substitution between the mature human and mouse proteins. SDF-1/PBSF acts via the chemokine receptor CXCR4 and has been shown to be a chemoattractant for T-lymphocytes, monocytes, pro- and pre-B cells, but not neutrophils. Mice lacking SDF-1 or CXCR4 have been found to have impaired B-lymphopoiesis, myelopoiesis, vascular development, cardiogenesis and abnormal neuronal cell migration and patterning in the central nervous system.
Recombinant Mouse SDF-1 a/CXCL12 produced in CHO cells is a polypeptide chain containing 68 amino acids. A fully biologically active molecule, rm SDF-1 ß/CXCL12 has a molecular mass of 8 kDa analyzed by reducing SDS-PAGE and is obtained by chromatographic techniques at GenScript.