title: Other kinases can substitute for Jak2 in signal transduction by interferon-gamma.
abstract: Each cytokine which utilizes the Jak-Stat signal transduction pathway activates a distinct combination of members of the Jak and Stat families. Thus, either the Jaks, the Stats, or both could contribute to the specificity of ligand action. With the use of chimeric receptors involving the interferon gamma receptor (IFN-gammaR) complex as a model system, we demonstrate that Jak2 activation is not an absolute requirement for IFN-gamma signaling. Other members of the Jak family can functionally substitute for Jak2. IFN-gamma can signal through the activation of Jak family members other than Jak2 as measured by Statlalpha homodimerization and major histocompatibility complex class I antigen expression. This indicates that Jaks are interchangeable and indiscriminative in the Jak-Stat signal transduction pathway. The necessity for the activation of one particular kinase during signaling can be overcome by recruiting another kinase to the receptor complex. The results may suggest that the Jaks do not contribute to the specificity of signal transduction in the Jak-Stat pathway to the same degree as Stats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-5635, USA.
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Kotenko
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Izotova
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Pollack
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Muthukumaran
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Paukku
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Silvennoinen
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Ihle
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pestka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D016466:CHO Cells; D006224:Cricetinae; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D015793:HLA-B7 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D006822:Hybrid Cells; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053614:Janus Kinase 2; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D010766:Phosphorylation; D019000:Phosphotyrosine / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D017471:Receptors, Interferon / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D000096743:Interferon gamma Receptor
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015793:HLA-B7 Antigen; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D053614:Janus Kinase 2; D019000:Phosphotyrosine; D011494:Protein Kinases; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D017471:Receptors, Interferon; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D000096743:Interferon gamma Receptor; C507924:JAK2 protein, human