CXCL12 is a heparin-binding chemokine that regulates lymphopoiesis, enhances the survival of myeloid progenitor cells, regulates the patterning and cell number of neural progenitors, and promotes angiogenesis. CXCL12/SDF-1 beta is one of several SDF-1 isoforms, all of which can undergo proteolytic processing of the first two N-terminal amino acids by DPPIV/CD26. SDF-1 isoforms signal through CXCR4 and CXCR7 and can also bind Syndecan-4. Their binding to CXCR4 may block the cellular entry of HIV.
