A simplified model of the binding interaction between stromal cell-derived factor-1 chemokine and CXC chemokine receptor 4.

We have synthesized the CXC chemokine receptor 4 (29-39) peptide, CXCR4{29-39}. This peptide is located in the N-terminal region of the receptor and is likely to be involved in the docking step of the receptor interaction with its natural ligand stromal cell-derived factor-1 chemokine, SDF-1. Preliminary expts., performed in the presence of micellar detergents to model a membrane-like environment, show that the (1-17) segment of SDF-1 binds to CXCR4{29-39}.