IL-4 inhibits mouse mast cell Fc epsilonRI expression through a STAT6-dependent mechanism.

Mast cell activation by IgE-mediated stimuli is a central event in atopic disease. The regulation of the mast cell high affinity receptor, Fc epsilonRI, is poorly understood. We show that IL-4 can inhibit Fc epsilonRI expression on mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells and fetal liver-derived mast cell progenitors. This effect could be observed at 2.5 ng/ml IL-4 and was dose dependent. IL-4-mediated inhibition of cultured BMMC required 4 days of stimulation and was sustained at maximum levels for at least 21 days. The inhibition of Fc epsilonRI expression resulted in decreased sensitivity to IgE-mediated stimulation, as measured by serotonin release, and the induction of mRNA for IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, and IL-13. Additionally, IL-4 could abrogate the IgE-mediated increase in Fc epsilonRI expression. Lastly, IL-4-mediated inhibition was dependent upon expression of the STAT6 transcription factor, as STAT6-deficient bone marrow-derived mast cells did not decrease Fc epsilonRI levels in response to IL-4. These data argue for a homeostatic role of IL-4 in the regulation of Fc epsilonRI expression, a role that could be critical to understanding atopic disease.

Characterization of a mobile Stat6 activation motif in the human IL-4 receptor.

The IL-4R induces proliferation and gene expression through the use of conserved tyrosine residues located in growth and gene regulation domains, respectively. We demonstrate that residues surrounding these conserved tyrosines (juxtatyrosine residues) are essential for the proper activation of the signaling molecules IRS-2 and Stat6, as well as for IL-4-induced gene expression. Further, we found that the IL-4R gene regulation domain (amino acids 557-657) contains a tyrosine-based sequence (EAGYKAF) that can convey Stat6 DNA binding and gene expression activities to a minimally active IL-4R mutant, delta 557. Thus, this tyrosine-based sequence can function as a mobile Stat6 activation cassette. However, mutants bearing this sequence induced CD23 expression much less efficiently than did wild-type IL-4R, requiring 150-fold more IL-4 to reach maximal CD23 expression. Our results indicate the importance of juxtatyrosine residues in IL-4R signaling and argue for an essential role of extended domain structure in the recognition and function of juxtatyrosine sequences.

Stem cell factor activates STAT-5 DNA binding in IL-3-derived bone marrow mast cells.

The Kit tyrosine kinase regulates growth and differentiation of many hematopoietic cells through a signal transduction process that remains to be fully elucidated. Kit has been shown to associate with the receptor for erythropoietin (Epo), which is known to activate the signal transducer and activator of transcription, STAT-5. To determine if Kit signal transduction activated latent DNA-binding factors, including STAT-5, we performed electrophoretic mobility shift assays on stem cell factor (SCF)-stimulated mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs). SCF led to the rapid and transient activation of a DNA-binding factor that was identified by supershift analysis as STAT-5. STAT-5 DNA binding was shown to be specific for the oligonucleotide of the correct sequence and was dose-responsive. Epo stimulation of BMMCs led to the activation of a DNA-binding activity that comigrated with the SCF-induced band, but peaked and was maintained at later time points than SCF-induced activation. These data indicate that SCF stimulation of Kit leads to activation of STAT-5 DNA binding with kinetics distinct from Epo-mediated stimulation.

Growth and gene expression are predominantly controlled by distinct regions of the human IL-4 receptor.

IL-4 causes hematopoietic cells to proliferate and express a series of genes, including CD23. We examined whether IL-4-mediated growth, as measured by 4PS phosphorylation, and gene induction were similarly controlled. Studies of M12.4.1 cells expressing human IL-4R truncation mutants indicated that the region between amino acids 557-657 is necessary for full gene expression, which correlated with Stat6 DNA binding activity. This region was not required for 4PS phosphorylation. Tyrosine-to-phenylalanine mutations in the interval between amino acids 557-657 revealed that as long as one tyrosine remained unmutated, CD23 was fully induced. When all three tyrosines were mutated, the receptor was unable to induce CD23. The results indicate that growth regulation and gene expression are principally controlled by distinct regions of IL-4R.

Similarities and differences in signal transduction by interleukin 4 and interleukin 13: analysis of Janus kinase activation.

The cytokines interleukin (IL) 4 and IL-13 induce many of the same biological responses, including class switching to IgE and induction of major histocompatibility complex class II antigens and CD23 on human B cells. It has recently been shown that IL-4 induces the tyrosine phosphorylation of a 170-kDa protein, a substrate called 4PS, and of the Janus kinase (JAK) family members JAK1 and JAK3. Because IL-13 has many functional effects similar to those of IL-4, we compared the ability of IL-4 and IL-13 to activate these signaling molecules in the human multifactor-dependent cell line TF-1. In this report we demonstrate that both IL-4 and IL-13 induced the tyrosine phosphorylation of 4PS and JAK1. Interestingly, although IL-4 induced the tyrosine phosphorylation of JAK3, we did not detect JAK3 phosphorylation in response to IL-13. These data suggest that IL-4 and IL-13 signal in similar ways via the activation of JAK1 and 4PS. However, our data further indicate that there are significant differences because IL-13 does not activate JAK3.