Genetic and Epigenetic Regulation of CCR5 Transcription

The chemokine receptor CCR5 regulates trafficking of immune cells of the lymphoid and the myeloid lineage (such as monocytes, macrophages and immature dendritic cells) and microglia. Because of this, there is an increasing recognition of the important role of CCR5 in the pathology of (neuro-) inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis and multiple sclerosis. Expression of CCR5 is under the control of a complexly organized promoter region upstream of the gene. The transcription factor cAMP-responsive element binding protein 1 (CREB-1) transactivates the CCR5 P1 promoter. The cell-specific expression of CCR5 however is realized by using various epigenetic marks providing a multivalent chromatin state particularly in monocytes. Here we discuss the transcriptional regulation of CCR5 with a focus on the epigenetic peculiarities of CCR5 transcription.