Constitutive phosphorylation and nuclear localization of Smad3 are correlated with increased collagen gene transcription in activated hepatic stellate cells.

Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) are the main producers of type I collagen in fibrotic liver, and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) plays critical roles in stimulating collagen gene expression in the cells mainly at the level of transcription. We have previously identified an upstream sequence of alpha2(I) collagen gene (COL1A2) that is essential for its basal and TGF-beta-stimulated transcription in skin fibroblasts and HSC. We designated this region the TGF-beta-responsive element (TbRE). Recently Smad3, an intracellular mediator of TGF-beta signal transduction, has been shown to bind to the TbRE and stimulate COL1A2 transcription when overexpressed in skin fibroblasts. In the present study, we demonstrate increased transcription of COL1A2 and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) genes and low response to TGF-beta in an activated HSC clone derived from a cirrhotic liver. Western blot analyses indicated constitutive phosphorylation of Smad3 in the cells. Immunofluorescence studies revealed that, in contrast to Smad2 that translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus upon TGF-beta treatment, Smad3 and Smad4 were present in the nucleus irrespective of ligand stimulation. Increased COL1A2 and PAI-1 gene transcription in the cells was not affected by overexpression of inhibitory Smad7. Altogether, the results correlate abnormality in TGF-beta/Smad signaling with pathologically accelerated collagen gene transcription in activated HSC.

Lack of a role for transforming growth factor-beta in cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4-mediated inhibition of T cell activation.

Similarities in the phenotypes of mice deficient for cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) or transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) and other observations have led to speculation that CTLA-4 mediates its inhibitory effect on T cell activation via costimulation of TGF-beta production. Here, we examine the role of TGF-beta in CTLA-4-mediated inhibition of T cell activation and of CTLA-4 in the regulation of TGF-beta production. Activation of AND TCR transgenic mouse T cells with costimulatory receptor-specific antigen presenting cells results in efficient costimulation of proliferation by CD28 ligation and inhibition by CTLA-4 ligation. Neutralizing antibody to TGF-beta does not reverse CTLA-4-mediated inhibition. Also, CTLA-4 ligation equally inhibits proliferation of wild-type, TGF-beta1(-/-), and Smad3(-/-) T cells. Further, CTLA-4 engagement does not result in the increased production of either latent or active TGF-beta by CD4(+) T cells. These results indicate that CTLA-4 ligation does not regulate TGF-beta production and that CTLA-4-mediated inhibition can occur independently of TGF-beta. Collectively, these data demonstrate that CTLA-4 and TGF-beta represent distinct mechanisms for regulation of T cell responses.

Blockade of TGF-beta signaling in T cells prevents the development of experimental glomerulonephritis.

Anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) Ab-induced glomerulonephritis (GN) at late stage is thought to be mediated by T cells. However, signaling pathways of T cells that are involved in the development of anti-GBM Ab-induced GN are unclear. We have recently established transgenic mice expressing Smad7, an inhibitor of TGF-beta signaling, in mature T cells, where signaling by TGF-beta was blocked specifically in T cells. In this study, we showed that anti-GBM Ab-induced GN was suppressed in several measures in the transgenic mice including the severity of glomerular changes, proteinuria, renal function, and CD4 T cell infiltration into the glomeruli without down-regulation of CD62 ligand (CD62L) (L-selectin) expression on CD4 T cells. Furthermore, treatment with the soluble fusion protein of CD62L and IgG enhanced anti-GBM Ab-induced GN. These findings indicated that blockade of TGF-beta signaling in T cells prevented the development of anti-GBM Ab-induced GN. Because CD62L on T cells appears to be inhibitory for the development of anti-GBM Ab-induced GN, persistent expression of CD62L on CD4 T cells may explain, at least in part, the suppression of anti-GBM Ab-induced GN in the transgenic mice. Our findings suggest that the development of anti-GBM Ab-induced GN requires TGF-beta/Smad signaling in T cells.

Ligation of the T cell receptor complex results in phosphorylation of Smad2 in T lymphocytes.

TGF-beta modulates immune responses by regulating T cell function. The Smad family of proteins has been recently shown to transduce signals for the TGF-beta superfamily and Smad2 mediates TGF-beta signaling. Here, we showed that TGF-beta phosphorylated Smad2 and induced interaction between Smad2 and Smad4 in primary T cells and the Jurkat T cell line. Interestingly, ligation of the T cell receptor (TCR)/CD3 complex with anti-CD3 mAb also phosphorylated Smad2, but failed to induce interaction between Smad2 and Smad4 in the Jurkat T cell line. Phosphorylation of Smad2 via the TCR/CD3 complex was not abrogated by treatment with neutralizing antibody against TGF-beta. Furthermore, PD98059, a MEK inhibitor, suppressed Smad2 phosphorylation by stimulation with anti-CD3 mAb in Jurkat T cell line. These findings indicated that not only TGF-beta but also stimulation via the TCR/CD3 complex phosphorylated Smad2 through mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascades, suggesting that Smad2 may function in both TGF-beta- and TCR/CD3 complex-mediated signaling pathways in T cells.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha mediates antiapoptotic signals partially via p38 MAP kinase activation in human eosinophils.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a proinflammatory cytokine with many biological effects on a variety of cells. In particular, TNF-alpha has been shown to act as a death or survival factor which mediates apoptosis or antiapoptotic signals in various types of cells. In eosinophils, TNF-alpha has been reported to activate eosinophil functions. However, it is not clearly defined whether TNF-alpha delivers antiapoptotic signals in eosinophils. In order to determine whether TNF-alpha prevents eosinophil apoptosis, we examined the effect of TNF-alpha on eosinophil apoptosis by the survival assay and cell cycle analysis. We also determined whether intracellular MAP kinases (ERKs, Jun kinase/JNK, and p38 MAP kinase) are involved in the TNF-alpha-induced signaling for the prevention of eosinophil apoptosis. We showed that TNF-alpha mediated antiapoptotic signals in human eosinophils in part via activation of p38 MAP kinase, but not via activation of ERKs and JNK. Our data suggest that TNF-alpha/p38 MAP kinase pathways are involved in the regulation of eosinophil survival and, thus, would be important for the development of allergic eosinophil-rich inflammation.

Primed T cells are more resistant to Fas-mediated activation-induced cell death than naive T cells.

Memory T cells respond in several functionally different ways from naive T cells and thus function as efficient effector cells. In this study we showed that primed T cells were more resistant to Fas-mediated activation-induced cell death (AICD) than naive T cells using OVA-specific TCR transgenic DO10 mice and Fas-deficient DO10 lpr/lpr mice. We found that apoptosis was efficiently induced in activated naive T cells at 48 and 72 h after Ag restimulation (OVA peptide; 0.3 and 3 microM), whereas apoptosis was not significantly increased in activated primed T cells at 24-72 h after Ag restimulation. We further showed that the resistance to AICD in primed T cells was due to the decreased sensitivity to apoptosis induced by Fas-mediated signals, but TCR-mediated signaling equally activated both naive and primed T cells to induce Fas and Fas ligand expressions. Furthermore, we demonstrated that primed T cells expressed higher levels of Fas-associated death domain-like IL-1beta-converting enzyme inhibitory protein (FLIP), an inhibitor of Fas-mediated apoptosis, at 24-48 h after Ag restimulation than naive T cells. In addition, Bcl-2 expression was equally observed between activated naive and primed T cells after Ag restimulation. Thus, these results indicate that naive T cells are sensitive to Fas-mediated AICD and are easily deleted by Ag restimulation, while primed/memory T cells express higher levels of FLIP after Ag restimulation, are resistant to Fas-mediated AICD, and thus function as efficient effector cells for a longer period.