Association of the interleukin-4 receptor alpha chain with p47phox, an activator of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase in B cells

p47(phox) directs murine macrophage cell fate decisions

Macrophage differentiation and function are pivotal for cell survival from infection and involve the processing of microenvironmental signals that determine macrophage cell fate decisions to establish appropriate inflammatory balance. NADPH oxidase 2 (Nox2)-deficient chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) mice that lack the gp91(phox) (gp91(phox-/-)) catalytic subunit show high mortality rates compared with wild-type mice when challenged by infection with Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), whereas p47(phox)-deficient (p47(phox-/-)) CGD mice show survival rates that are similar to those of wild-type mice. We demonstrate that such survival results from a skewed macrophage differentiation program in p47(phox-/-) mice that favors the production of higher levels of alternatively activated macrophages (AAMacs) compared with levels of either wild-type or gp91(phox-/-) mice. Furthermore, the adoptive transfer of AAMacs from p47(phox-/-) mice can rescue gp91(phox-/-) mice during primary Lm infection. Key features of the protective function provided by p47(phox-/-) AAMacs against Lm infection are enhanced production of IL-1α and killing of Lm. Molecular analysis of this process indicates that p47(phox-/-) macrophages are hyperresponsive to IL-4 and show higher Stat6 phosphorylation levels and signaling coupled to downstream activation of AAMac transcripts in response to IL-4 stimulation. Notably, restoring p47(phox) protein expression levels reverts the p47(phox)-dependent AAMac phenotype. Our results indicate that p47(phox) is a previously unrecognized regulator for IL-4 signaling pathways that are important for macrophage cell fate choice.

Investigation of the interleukin (IL)-4/IL-4 receptor system in promyelocytic leukaemia PLB-985 cells during differentiation toward neutrophil-like phenotype: mechanism involved in IL-4-induced SOCS3 protein expression

The interleukin 4 (IL-4)/IL-4 receptor (IL-4R) system in promyelocytes is not well documented. Here, we used promyelocytic leukaemia PLB-985 cells differentiated with dimethylsulfoxide (PLB-985D) toward neutrophil-like phenotype to investigate the IL-4/IL-4R system. PLB-985 cells did not express CD132 (gammac) but expressed the complete IL-4 type II receptor (IL-4Ralpha and IL-13Ralpha1). Moreover, PLB-985 cells lost surface expression of IL-13Ralpha1 during differentiation, resulting in PLB-985D cells expressing only IL-4Ralpha fully responsive to IL-4, as judged by activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases and Janus kinase 1. IL-4 also increased suppressor of cytokine signalling 3 (SOCS3) protein level in the presence of the proteasome inhibitor MG132 exclusively in PLB-985D cells. As the IL-4Ralpha chain has been associated with a component of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase, we used PLB-985-gp91(phox) deficient cells (mimicking chronic granulomatous disease, X-CGD), to investigate the IL-4/IL-4R system in X-CGD-D cells. IL-4 was found to activate MAP kinases in X-CGD-D cells but did not up-regulate SOCS3, in contrast to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and IL-6. Utilization of catalase, cycloheximide and genistein inhibitors showed that IL-4 induced SOCS3 by a mechanism dependent on a complete NADPH oxidase complex, protein synthesis and tyrosine phosphorylation, but independent of production of reactive oxygen species. We conclude that IL-4 induces cell signalling in promyelocytes expressing only IL-4Ralpha.

Mast cell-dependent B and T lymphocyte activation is mediated by the secretion of immunologically active exosomes

Mitogenic activity of bone marrow-derived mouse mast cells and mast cell lines P815 and MC/9 on B and T lymphocytes is present in their culture supernatants. To identify this activity, mast cells were incubated in serum-free medium and the supernatant was subjected to differential centrifugation, which resulted in two fractions, the hypodense and dense fraction (pellet). When analyzed for their mitogenic activity on spleen cells, all activity was found to be associated with the dense fraction. Electron microscopy studies revealed the presence in this fraction of small vesicles called exosomes with a heterogeneous size from 60 to 100 nm of diameter. When cocultured with spleen cells, purified exosomes induced blast formation, proliferation, as well as IL-2 and IFN-gamma production, but no detectable IL-4. Similar data were obtained by injecting exosomes into naive mice. In contrast to mast cell lines, a pretreatment with IL-4 is required for bone marrow-derived mast cells to secrete active exosomes. Structurally, exosomes were found to harbor immunologically relevant molecules such as MHC class II, CD86, LFA-1, and ICAM-1. These findings indicate that mast cells can represent a critical component of the immunoregulatory network through secreted exosomes that display mitogenic activity on B and T lymphocytes both in vitro and in vivo.

Characterization of IL-4 and IL-13 signals dependent on the human IL-13 receptor alpha chain 1: redundancy of requirement of tyrosine residue for STAT3 activation

IL-4 and IL-13 are pleiotropic cytokines whose biological activities overlap with each other. IL-13 receptor alpha chain 1 (IL-13R alpha 1) is necessary for binding to IL-13, and the heterodimer composed of IL-13R alpha 1 and IL-4R alpha chain transduces IL-13 and IL-4 signals; however, the functional mapping of the intracellular domain of IL-13R alpha 1 is not fully understood. In this study, we constructed wild and mutated types of human IL-13R alpha 1, and analyzed IL-4 and IL-13 signals using an IL-13R alpha 1-transfected human B cell line. Expression of IL-13R alpha 1 evoked STAT3 activation by IL-4 and IL-13, and in stimulated human B cells, on which IL-13R alpha 1 was highly expressed, IL-4 and IL-13 induced STAT3 activation. Replacement of the two tyrosine residues completely abolished STAT3 activation, although replacing either tyrosine residue alone retained it. Furthermore, we found that the Box1 region and the C-terminal tail of IL-13R alpha 1 were critical for binding to Tyk2, and activation of Jak1, Tyk2, the insulin receptor substrate-1 and STAT6 respectively. These results suggest that STAT3 activation is involved with IL-4 and IL-13 signals in human B cells along with the activation of STAT6, and that there is a unique sequence in IL-13R alpha 1 to activate STAT3.