Faculty Bibliography

Recent evidence indicates that STAT proteins can be activated by a variety of receptor and non-receptor protein-tyrosine kinases. Unlike cytokine-induced activation of STATs, where JAKs are known to play a pivotal role in phosphorylating STATs, the mechanism for receptor protein-tyrosine kinase-mediated activation of STATs remains elusive. In this study, we investigated the activation of STAT proteins by the insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF-IR) in vitro and in vivo and assessed the role of JAKs in the process of activation. We found that STAT3, but not STAT5, was activated in response to IGF-I in 293T cells cotransfected with IGF-IR and STAT expression vectors. Moreover, tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT3, JAK1, and JAK2 was increased upon IGF-I stimulation of endogenous IGF-IR in 293T cells transfected with the respective STAT or JAK expression vector. Supporting the observation in 293T cells, endogenous STAT3 was tyrosine-phosphorylated upon IGF-I stimulation in the muscle cell line C2C12 as well as in various embryonic and adult mouse organs during different stages of development. Dominant-negative JAK1 or JAK2 was able to block the IGF-IR-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT3 in 293T cells. A newly identified family of proteins called SOCS (suppressor of cytokine signaling), including SOCS1, SOCS2, SOCS3 and CIS, was able to inhibit the IGF-I-induced STAT3 activation as well with varying degrees of potency, in which SOCS1 and SOCS3 appeared to have the higher inhibitory ability. Inhibition of STAT3 activation by SOCS could be overcome by overexpression of native JAK1 and JAK2. We conclude that IGF-I/IGF-IR is able to mediate activation of STAT3 in vitro and in vivo and that JAKs are essential for the process of activation

Stat proteins are latent transcription factors activated by tyrosine phosphorylation downstream of cytokine and growth factor receptors and have been implicated in a variety of cell growth regulatory pathways. Constitutive phosphorylation has also been observed in various transformed cell line and in primary malignant tissue, suggesting that Stat protein activation may contribute to the transformed phenotype. One method to distinguish between a causative role in malignancy as opposed to bystander phosphorylation from the increased tyrosine phosphorylation that accompanies transformation is to investigate cell growth and malignancy in the absence of particular Stat proteins using targeted gene disruptions in transgenic mice. Such studies show that Stat1 primarily mediates growth inhibitory signals and contributes to the host rejection of tumors, and that its activation in transformed cells is not necessary for malignancy. Activation of Stat5 can be both necessary and sufficient for malignant transformation, and single Stat5-target genes have been identified that are critical for heightened proliferation. Nonetheless, some malignancies that are characterized by constitutively phosphorylated Stat5 are not altered by the loss of Stat5 protein. Its role in these cases may be redundant with other transforming events that are in themselves sufficient to cause disease, rendering tyrosine phosphorylation of Stat5 unnecessary in these transformed cells. Oncogene (2000)

IFNs protect from virus infection by inducing an antiviral state and by modulating the immune response. Using mice deficient in multiple aspects of IFN signaling, we found that type I and type II IFN play distinct although complementing roles in the resolution of influenza viral disease. Both types of IFN influenced the profile of cytokines produced by T lymphocytes, with a significant bias toward Th2 differentiation occurring in the absence of responsiveness to either IFN. However, although a Th1 bias produced through inhibition of Th2 differentiation by IFN-gamma was not required to resolve infection, loss of type I IFN responsiveness led to exacerbated disease pathology characterized by granulocytic pulmonary inflammatory infiltrates. Responsiveness to type I IFN did not influence the generation of virus-specific cytotoxic lymphocytes or the rate of viral clearance, but induction of IL-10 and IL-15 in infected lungs through a type I IFN-dependent pathway correlated with a protective response to virus. Combined loss of both IFN pathways led to a severely polarized proinflammatory immune response and exacerbated disease. These results reveal an unexpected role for type I IFN in coordinating the host response to viral infection and controlling inflammation in the absence of a direct effect on virus replication

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-stimulated gene 14 (TSG-14, also termed PTX3) encodes a secreted glycoprotein whose carboxy-terminal half shares sequence similarity with the pentraxin family of acute phase proteins (C-reactive protein and serum amyloid P component). We compared TSG-14 mRNA expression in cultures of murine BALB/c 3T3 fibroblasts and thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages. TNF and interleukin-1 (IL-1) potently induced TSG-14 expression in 3T3 fibroblasts but not in peritoneal macrophages. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) elicited TSG-14 expression in both cell types, but induction in 3T3 cells and macrophages showed several distinct characteristics. Whereas in 3T3 fibroblasts TSG-14 mRNA was rapidly up-regulated by LPS, expression in macrophages was substantially delayed. Furthermore, cycloheximide greatly reduced LPS-induced TSG-14 mRNA up-regulation in macrophages but not in 3T3 cells. Finally, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma; but not IFN-alpha/beta) inhibited LPS-induced TSG-14 expression in macrophages and not in 3T3 fibroblasts. The antioxidant pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate inhibited LPS-induced nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation and TSG-14 expression in macrophages. In contrast, IFN-gamma did not inhibit NF-kappaB function as measured by IkappaB-alpha and IkappaB-beta degradation, IkappaB-alpha resynthesis, or electrophoretic mobility shift analysis. Inhibition of LPS-induced TSG-14 mRNA expression by IFN-gamma in macrophages was also observed in the presence of cycloheximide and in cells from STAT1 null mice, suggesting that IFN-gamma inhibits TSG-14 expression through an unconventional mechanism

Lymphocytes derived from mice deficient in STAT1 showed reduced apoptosis and enhanced proliferation in vitro. To understand the involvement of STAT1 in the observed reduction in apoptosis, we examined the levels of caspase and bcl-2 family genes that are involved in cell survival and/or apoptosis. The levels of caspase 1 and 11, two enzymes involved in both cytokine protein processing and induction of apoptosis, were reduced in STAT1-/- cells compared with wild-type. However, the levels of bcl-2 genes were comparable in both mice. STAT1-/- cells also displayed an enhanced proliferation following TCR stimulation. This hyperproliferation could not be ascribed completely to the loss of IFN-gamma-mediated antiproliferation. First, similar phenotypes were also observed in fibroblasts and pre-B cells derived from STAT1-/- mice, which do not produce IFN-gamma. Second, comparisons with cells lacking the gene for IFN-gamma or with cells treated with neutralizing Abs to IFN-gamma only partially mimicked the STAT1-/- phenotype. Interestingly, the kinetics of degradation of p27kip1, a CDK inhibitor, following TCR ligation were faster, and, concomitantly, the up-regulation of CDK2 kinase activity and protein levels were increased in stimulated T cells of STAT1-/- mice relative to those of wild-type mice. Furthermore, STAT1-/- animals were more susceptible to carcinogen-induced thymic tumors, a possible consequence of altered T cell growth and/or survival. These results demonstrate an essential role for STAT1 for lymphocyte survival and proliferation that is only partially dependent on IFN-gamma signaling

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens are constitutively expressed yet highly induced by interferon (IFN) during inflammation. We found that not only IFN-induced but also normal basal expression of MHC I required IFN receptors and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)1, providing genetic evidence for continuous IFN signaling. Surprisingly, an IFN-independent requirement for STAT1 was also found, specifically in T lymphocytes, where MHC class I expression was not fully accounted for by IFN signaling. This IFN-independent pathway maintained tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT1 in T but not B lymphocytes even in the absence of IFN receptors. Interestingly, interleukin (IL)-7 selectively activated STAT1 and induced MHC class I in mature T but not B cells. These loss of function studies demonstrate an essential role of endogenous IFN and activated STAT1 for constitutive MHC class I expression in normal mice and define IL-7-dependent but IFN-independent regulation of STAT1 restricted to T lymphocytes

The signal transduction and activator of transcription (Stat) gene family has been highly conserved throughout evolution. Gene duplication and divergence has produced 7 mammalian Stat genes, each of which mediates a distinct process. While some Stat proteins are activated by multiple cytokines, Stat2 is highly specific for responses to type I interferon. We have cloned mouse Stat2 and found that while its sequence was more divergent from its human homologue than any other mouse-human Stat pairs, it was fully functional even in human cells. Overall sequence identity was only 69%, compared with 85-99% similarity for other Stat genes, and several individual domains that still served similar or identical functions in both species were even less well conserved. The coiled-coil domain responsible for interaction with IRF9 was only 65% identical and yet mouse Stat2 interacted with either human or mouse IRF9; the carboxyl terminus was only 30% identical and yet both regions functioned as equal transactivation domains. Both mouse and human transactivation domains recruited the p300/CBP coactivator and were equally sensitive to inhibition by adenovirus E1A protein. Interestingly, the Stat3 carboxyl terminus also functioned as a transactivator capable of recruiting p300/CBP, as does the Stat1 protein, although with widely differing potencies. Yet these proteins share no sequence similarity with Stat2. These data demonstrate that highly diverged primary sequences can serve similar or identical functions, and that the minimal regions of similarity between human and mouse Stat2 may define the critical determinants for function

Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) were discovered as mediators of type I interferon-induced gene expression. This family of transcription factors has been found in widespread signaling pathways, especially those involving cytokines regulating the immune response. Because a plethora and often confusing set of activators for STAT proteins was observed in cell culture models, it became important to define the physiologically relevant actions of these molecules. One approach to this question has been through the targeted disruption of STAT genes in transgenic mice. Now that all seven STAT genes have been disrupted, both the high degree of STAT selectivity as well as many surprising and unexpected complexities are beginning to be characterized

Several genetic forms of human dwarfism have been linked to activating mutations in FGF receptor 3, indicating that FGF signaling has a critical role in chondrocyte maturation and skeletal development. However, the mechanisms through which FGFs affect chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation remain poorly understood. We show here that activation of FGF signaling inhibits chondrocyte proliferation both in a rat chondrosarcoma (RCS) cell line and in primary murine chondrocytes. FGF treatment of RCS cells induces phosphorylation of STAT-1, its translocation to the nucleus, and an increase in the expression of the cell-cycle inhibitor p21WAF1/CIP1. We have used primary chondrocytes from STAT-1 knock-out mice to provide genetic evidence that STAT-1 function is required for the FGF mediated growth inhibition. Furthermore, FGF treatment of metatarsal rudiments from wild-type and STAT-1(-/-) murine embryos produces a drastic impairment of chondrocyte proliferation and bone development in wild-type, but not in STAT-1(-/-) rudiments. We propose that STAT-1 mediated down regulation of chondrocyte proliferation by FGF signaling is an homeostatic mechanism which ensures harmonious bone development and morphogenesis

Propagation of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells in vitro requires exogenous leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) or related cytokines. Potential downstream effectors of the LIF signal in ES cells include kinases of the Src, Jak, and mitogen-activated protein families and the signal transducer and transcriptional activator STAT3. Activation of nuclear STAT3 and the ability of ES cells to grow as undifferentiated clones were monitored during LIF withdrawal. A correlation was found between levels of STAT3 activity and maintenance of an undifferentiated phenotype at clonal density. In contrast, variation in STAT3 activity did not affect cell proliferation. The requirement for STAT3 was analyzed by targeted mutagenesis in ES cell lines exhibiting different degrees of LIF dependency. An insertional mutation was devised that abrogated Stat3 gene expression but could be reversed by Cre recombination-mediated excision. ES cells heterozygous for the Stat3 mutation could be isolated only from E14 cells, the line least dependent on LIF for self-renewal. Targeted clones isolated from other ES cell lines were invariably trisomic for chromosome 11, which carries the Stat3 locus, and retained normal levels of activated STAT3. Cre-regulated reduction of Stat3 gene copy number in targeted, euploid E14 clones resulted in dose-dependent losses of STAT3 activity and the efficiency of self-renewal without commensurate changes in cell cycle progression. These results demonstrate an essential role for a critical amount of STAT3 in the maintenance of an undifferentiated ES cell phenotype