CCR6

CCR6 (C-C chemokine receptor 6) is a class A G protein-coupled chemokine receptor that regulates leukocyte trafficking, immune homeostasis, and inflammatory cell recruitment through its highly selective interaction with CCL20.^[1][2] CCR6 is expressed on immature dendritic cells, memory T cells, B cells, Th17 cells, and regulatory T cells, positioning the receptor at the interface between adaptive immunity and tissue-specific inflammatory responses.^[1][3][4] Mechanistically, the CCR6-CCL20 axis directs chemotaxis and cellular localization within mucosal and epithelial tissues, where it contributes to immune surveillance and maintenance of barrier function.^[2][5] In inflammatory disease models, CCR6 signaling promotes recruitment of Th17 cells and regulates the Th17/Treg balance, a process implicated in chronic intestinal inflammation, autoimmune disorders, and tissue injury.^[1][2] Experimental studies in inflammatory bowel disease have demonstrated that disruption of CCR6-dependent signaling can reduce colonic inflammation and alter mucosal immune responses.^[1][2] Compared with many chemokine receptors that interact with multiple ligands, CCR6 is distinguished by its largely exclusive, high-affinity interaction with CCL20, providing a comparatively specific model for studying chemokine-directed immune regulation.^[1][4] Structural analyses further show that CCR6 functions as a seven-transmembrane receptor coupled primarily to Gi/o proteins, supporting mechanistic investigations of receptor activation and downstream signaling.^[6] For experimental applications, the CCR6/CCL20 pathway is widely used to investigate immune-cell migration, inflammatory disease mechanisms, and the therapeutic potential of receptor-targeted antibodies designed to modulate pathological leukocyte recruitment.^[1]