An atypical addition to the chemokine receptor nomenclature: IUPHAR review 15

Chemokines and their receptors are essential regulators of in vivo leukocyte migration and, some years ago, a systematicnomenclature system was developed for the chemokine receptor family. Chemokine receptor biology and biochemistry wasrecently extensively reviewed. In this review, we also highlighted a new component to the nomenclature system thatincorporates receptors previously known as ‘scavenging’, or ‘decoy’, chemokine receptors on the basis of their lack of classicalsignalling responses to ligand binding and their general ability to scavenge, or sequester, their cognate chemokine ligands.These molecules are now collectively referred to as ‘atypical chemokine receptors’, or ACKRs, and play fundamental roles inregulating in vivo responses to chemokines. This commentary highlights this new addition to the chemokine receptornomenclature system and provides brief information on the four receptors currently covered by this nomenclature.