CXCL16 is a member of the CXC chemokine family. Mouse CXCL16 has 246 a.a. and consists of a 26 a.a. residue putative signal peptide, an 88 a.a. residue chemokine domain, an 87 a.a. residue mucin-like spacer region, a 22 a.a. residue transmembrane domain, and a 23 a.a. residue cytoplasmic tail. Mouse and human CXCL16 share 49% overall aa identity and 70% similarity in the chemokine domains. CXCL16 is a transmembrane chemokine and is implicated in activated CD8+ T cell trafficking. CXCL16 mediates adhesion and phagocytosis of both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and is a strong chemoattractant for CXCR6+ T cells. It facilitates uptake of low density lipoproteins by macrophages, resulting in foam cell formation.