Genetic control of interleukin-4-induced activation of the human signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 signaling pathway

Stat6 activity-related Th2 cytokine profile and tumor growth advantage of human colorectal cancer cells in vitro and in vivo

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (Stat6) is critical in Th2 polarization of immune cells and active Stat6 activity has been suggested in anti-tumor immunity in animal models. The present study aims at investigating the impact of natural Stat6 activity on tumor microenvironment in human colorectal cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Using colorectal cancer cell lines HT-29 and Caco-2 whose IL-4/Stat6 activities were known and nude mice as a model, we examined correlative relationships between Stat6 activities and gene expression profiles together with cellular behaviors in vitro and in vivo. HT-29 cells carrying active Stat6 signaling displayed spontaneous expression profiles favoring Th2 cytokines, cell cycle promotion, anti-apoptosis and pro-metastasis with increased mRNA levels of IL-4, IL-13, GATA-3, CDK4, CD44v6 and S100A4 using RT-PCR. In contrast, Caco-2 cells carrying defective Stat6 signaling exhibited spontaneous expression profiles favoring Th1 and Th17 cytokines, cell cycle inhibition, pro-apoptosis and anti-metastasis with elevated mRNA expression of IFNγ, TNFα, IL-12A, IL-17, IL-23, T-bet, CDKN1A, CDKNIB, CDKN2A and NM23-H1. Xenograft tumors of Stat6-active HT-29 cells showed a growth advantage over those of Stat6-defective Caco-2 cells. Furthermore, mice bearing HT-29 tumors expressed increased levels of Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-5 in the blood and pro-growth and/or pro-metastasis proteins CDK4 and CD44v6 in the tumor. To the contrary, mice bearing Caco-2 tumors expressed heightened levels of Th1 cytokines IFNγ and TNF in the blood and pro-apoptosis and anti-metastatic proteins p53 and p27(kip1) in the tumor. Colorectal cancer cells carrying active Stat6 signaling may create a microenvironment favoring Th2 cytokines and promoting expression of genes related to pro-growth, pro-metastasis and anti-apoptosis, which leads to a tumor growth advantage in vivo. These findings may imply why Stat6 pathway is constitutively activated in a number of human malignancies.

Impaired IL-4 phosphorylation of STAT6 in EBV transformed B-cells

BACKGROUND

The Interleukin-4 signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (IL-4-STAT6) signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in regulation of gene transcription. We have previously identified a defective STAT6 activational phenotype in response to IL-4 in patients from our familial Inflammatory Bowel Disease registry. This has been termed Stat6(null) and Stat6(high) is the normal phenotype. The purpose of this study was to investigate the defect in Stat6 activation in Stat6(null) cells.

METHODS

Stat6(null) and Stat6(high) Epstein Barr virus transformed cell lines were stimulated with 10 ng/mL of IL-4 for 0, 10, 30, or 60 min and cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins harvested. Western blot for STAT6, phosphorylated STAT6 (pSTAT6), Janus Kinase (Jak)1 and Jak3 was performed. Cells were also cultured for 48 h and interferon gamma (IFNgamma) measured in the supernatant. Additional cells were cultured with 20 ng/mL of IFNgamma for 90 min or 5 ug of antibody to IFNgamma for 48 h, and then stimulated with IL-4.

RESULTS

There were no differences in cytoplasmic STAT6 in Stat6(null)versus Stat6(high) cells. In Stat6(high) cells, STAT6 was rapidly phosphorylated and translocated to the nucleus. In Stat6(null) cells there was minimal phosphorylation and translocation of pSTAT6 to the nucleus. Spontaneous secretion of IFNgamma by Stat6(null) cells was significantly higher than Stat6(null) cells. Addition of IFNgamma decreased pSTAT6 in Stat6(high) cells to Stat6(null) levels while blocking IFNgamma increased baseline pSTAT6 in Stat6(null) cells to levels similar to Stat6(high) cells.

CONCLUSION

This suggests that the spontaneously produced IFNgamma in the Stat6(null) cell lines suppresses STAT6 function and creates the Stat6(null) phenotype.

Differential IL-4/Stat6 activities correlate with differential expression of regulatory genes SOCS-1, SHP-1, and PP2A in colon cancer cells

PURPOSE

To investigate potential differences in the expression of Stat6 regulatory genes that may influence IL-4/Stat6 activities (phenotypes) in colon cancer cells.

METHODS

RT-PCR method was employed to examine the constitutive mRNA expression of Stat6 negative regulators SOCS-1 and SHP-1, and positive regulator PP2A in colon cancer cell lines HT-29 and Caco-2. Stat6 protein expression and nuclear phosphorylation were detected using Western blotting.

RESULTS

Caco-2 cells carrying inactive Stat6(null) phenotype showed normal constitutive expression of Stat6 but decreased phosphorylation of nuclear Stat6 compared with HT-29 cells carrying active Stat6(high) phenotype. Stat6(null) Caco-2 cells expressed increased levels of mRNA and protein of SOCS-1 and SHP-1, and decreased mRNA expression of PPP2CA and PPP2CB, encoding two critical subunits of PP2A.

CONCLUSIONS

Constitutively increased expression of Stat6 negative regulators SOCS-1 and SHP-1, together with decreased expression of positive regulator PP2A, may play a role in forming the inactive Stat6(null) phenotype in colon cancer cells.

IL-4-induced Stat6 activities affect apoptosis and gene expression in breast cancer cells

IL-4-induced Stat6 signaling is active in a variety of cell types, including immune cells and cancer cells, and plays an important role in the regulation of gene expression. Using EMSA gel shift assay and an antibody to Stat6, we phenotyped two breast cancer cell lines, ZR-75-1 being active Stat6(high) phenotype and BT-20 being defective Stat6(null) phenotype, respectively. Breast cancer cells carrying Stat6(null) phenotype exhibited increased spontaneous apoptosis compared with those carrying Stat6(high) phenotype. Expression microarray analyses demonstrated that IL-4 upregulated CCL26, SOCS1, CISH, EGLN3, and SIDT1, and downregulated DUSP1, FOS, and FOSB, respectively, in these breast cancer cells. Among those genes, CCL26 and SOCS1 were known genes regulated by IL-4/Stat6 pathway, but CISH, EGLN3, SIDT1, DUSP1, FOS, and FOSB were novel genes demonstrated to be IL-4 responsive for the first time. IL-4 also upregulated 38 genes unique to Stat6(null) BT-20 cells and 23 genes unique to Stat6(high) ZR-75-1 cells, respectively. Furthermore, Stat6(high) and Stat6(null) cells showed very different profiles of constitutively expressed genes relevant to apoptosis and metastasis among others, which serve as a valuable expression database and warrant for detailed studies of IL-4/Stat6 pathway in breast cancer.

IL-4/Stat6 activities correlate with apoptosis and metastasis in colon cancer cells

IL-4-induced Stat6 signaling is active in a variety of cell types and plays a role in cell proliferation/growth and resistance to apoptosis. Using EMSA, we identified differential IL-4/Stat6 activities in colorectal cancer cell lines, HT-29 being active Stat6(high) phenotype and Caco-2 being defective Stat6(null) phenotype, respectively. Active Stat6(high) HT-29 cells exhibited resistance to apoptosis by flowcytometry and aggressive metastasis by Transwell assay compared with defective Stat6(null) Caco-2 cells. Comparing one another using RT-PCR, Stat6(high) HT-29 cells expressed more mRNA of anti-apoptotic and pro-metastatic genes Survivin, MDM2, and TMPRSS4, while Stat6(null) Caco-2 cells expressed more mRNA of pro-apoptotic and anti-metastatic genes BAX, CAV1, and P53, respectively. This is the first study describing correlations of IL-4/Stat6 activities with apoptosis and metastasis in colon cancer. These findings, together with the observation of constitutive Stat6 activation in many human malignancies, suggest that Stat6 activities could be a biomarker for cancer cell's invasive/metastatic capability.

Increased expression and activation of IL-12-induced Stat4 signaling in the mucosa of ulcerative colitis patients

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic inflammatory diseases with unsolved pathogenesis. Imbalanced Th1/Th2 may play a role in the sustained inflammation of IBD. In China, CD is rare but the incidence of UC has been rising steadily in the last two decades. We investigated the expression of IL-12 (p40) and IFN-gamma, and the activational state of Stat4 signaling in mucosal tissues at the site of disease from 30 active UC patients in comparison with 30 healthy controls. RT-PCR analyses revealed increased mRNA expression of IL-12 (p40) but not IFN-gamma in UC patients. Western blot analyses discovered, for the first time, increased levels of constitutive Stat4 in the cytoplasm and phosphorylated Stat4 in the nucleus of mucosal cells from UC patients. We conclude that a heightened, perhaps persistent, activational state of IL-12/Stat4, and/or IL-23/Stat4 signaling may be present in active Chinese UC patients, and possibly involved in chronic inflammation in UC.

STAT6 specific shRNA inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in colon cancer HT-29 cells

RNA interference (RNAi) has been employed as an effective tool for studying gene functions. Here, we have demonstrated that different short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) can specifically knock-down the transcription of STAT6, resulting in the inhibition of cell proliferation, G1/S phase arrest and apoptotic death in colon cancer HT-29 cells. These findings suggest that Stat6 signaling pathway plays a role in the regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis in colon cancer cells, which promises further investigation for targeted cancer therapy.

cDNA microarray analysis of early gene expression profiles associated with hepatitis B virus X protein-mediated hepatocarcinogenesis

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the major causes of hepatocellular carcinoma. HBV encodes an oncogenic hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx), which can transactivate host cell transcriptional machinery and mediate cellular transformation. To disclose the early genetic response in HBx-mediated transformation process, we constructed a conditional HBx-expressing hepatocyte cell line, which allows us to compare the gene expression profiles under controllable HBx induction. A cDNA microarray containing more than 8700 mouse genes and ESTs was utilized to examine the gene expression profiles. We identified 260 candidate genes and 259 ESTs which have shown aberrant expression under HBx induction. Most of them are involved in signal transduction pathway, cell cycle control, metastasis, transcriptional regulation, immune response, and metabolism. These results provide additional insight into early cellular targets of HBx, which could give us a better understanding of the function of HBx and their progressive changes during HBx-mediated hepatocarcinogenesis.

Stat6null phenotype human lymphocytes exhibit increased apoptosis

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with altered apoptosis and increased levels of Th1 cytokines (IL-12, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma). These proinflammatory events may result from dysfunctional IL-4/Stat6 signal transduction that normally promotes Th2 lymphocyte differentiation and consequential down-regulation of the immune response. The goal of the present study was to measure apoptosis, levels of relevant cytokines, and the effects of cytokine manipulation on apoptosis in cell lines derived from IBD patients that express dysfunctional Stat6 (Stat6(null phenotype)) and wild-type Stat6 (Stat6(high phenotype)).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Lymphocytes with Stat6(null phenotype) (n = 5) or wild-type (n = 5) status were cultured with and without the addition of exogenous cytokines or neutralizing antibodies (IL-12, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma). Apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry using Annexin V-PE dual staining. Cytokine levels were determined by ELISA.

RESULTS

Stat6(null phenotype) cells exhibited increased apoptosis compared with wild-type cell lines (13.3% +/- 2.9 versus 4.5% +/- 0.4, P < 0.0001). Four of five Stat6(null phenotype) cell lines expressed 5- to 10-fold elevations in IL-12 and IFN-gamma. Addition of exogenous cytokines or neutralizing antibodies had no effect on apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Apoptotic cell death is elevated in Stat6(null phenotype) cell lines suggesting a role for Stat6 in apoptosis regulation, a previously unrecognized observation. Increased levels of IL-12 and IFN-gamma were found in the Stat6(null phenotype) cell lines; however, the apoptosis observed is not the consequence of increased IL-12, IFN-gamma, or TNF-alpha. Stat6(null phenotype) cell lines exhibit variably increased levels of these Th1 cytokines, consistent with their human source, and may be a valid source for investigations into IBD pathophysiology.

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Differential activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 in B cells from allergic children and their non-allergic siblings

BACKGROUND

The germline (GL) epsilon promoter is regulated by IL-4 and is essential for class switching to IgE. IL-4-induced gene expression is largely mediated through activation of latent transcription factor STAT6 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 6).

OBJECTIVE

We investigated whether increased levels of IgE in allergic individuals may be associated with alteration in the level or activation of STAT6 and subsequent increase in GL epsilon promoter activity.

METHODS

Electrophoretic mobility shift assay and Western blotting assays were used to investigate the level of expression and activation of STAT6 in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed B cell lines from children with birch pollen allergy and their non-allergic siblings. The activity of the GL epsilon promoter was tested in a transient transfection assay.

RESULTS

STAT6 was expressed at the same level in all B cell lines tested. In two out of five sibling pairs STAT6 was activated by IL-4 more efficiently in the allergic individuals but in the three other pairs the opposite was found. In transient transfections, no difference in IL-4-induced GL epsilon promoter function was detected, although basal promoter activity varied between allergic and healthy siblings in two out of five pairs.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrate for the first time that upon IL-4 signalling STAT6 transcription factor activation differs in B cells from different individuals. Although we did not find any association between STAT6 activation and allergy, we do not exclude a possibility that stronger activation of this transcription factor is associated with an expression of allergic phenotype.