title: Signal transduction pathways induced by GM-CSF in microglia: significance in the control of proliferation.
abstract: Communication between cells of the central nervous system (CNS) and of the immune system is accomplished by a network of cytokines and growth factors. Certain cytokines and growth factors cause activation of microglia, contributing to inflammatory states in the CNS. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) has numerous effects on microglia, ranging from induction of proliferation to changes in morphology. GM-CSF is also a growth factor for cells of the myeloid lineage, and the signal tranduction induced by GM-CSF in these cells has been extensively studied. Most notably, the importance of the Jak/STAT and MAP kinase pathways in mitogenesis has been shown in many different systems. We show here that primary microglia and a microglia cell line, BV-2, have a Jak/STAT expression pattern and GM-CSF inducibility similar to that of monocytes and macrophages. Primary microglia and BV-2 cells expressed identical Jak/STATs: Jakl, Jak2, Jak3, Tyk2, STAT1alpha/beta, STAT3, STAT5A, STAT5B, and STAT6. In addition, GM-CSF induced Jak2, STAT5A, and STAT5B in BV-2 cells, as it does in monocytes and macrophages. Immunocytochemical analysis showed that STAT5 translocates to the nucleus following GM-CSF stimulation of microglia. We also found the MAP kinases, ERK1 and ERK2, to be phosphorylated in microglia and BV-2 cells following induction by GM-CSF. Jak2, STAT5A, STAT5B, and ERKs are known to be important in controlling cellular proliferation. Drugs that block these pathways may become tools to control inflammation in the CNS by limiting microglial proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Mental Retardation Research Center, Brain Research Institute, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90024-1759, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Liva
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kahn
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Dopp
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Vellis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division; D002460:Cell Line; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D050832:Interferon-Stimulated Gene Factor 3; D053613:Janus Kinase 1; D053614:Janus Kinase 2; D053616:Janus Kinase 3; D017628:Microglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008894:Milk Proteins; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D050799:STAT5 Transcription Factor; D050800:STAT6 Transcription Factor; D015398:Signal Transduction; D053634:TYK2 Kinase; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050832:Interferon-Stimulated Gene Factor 3; C507936:Jak3 protein, rat; D008894:Milk Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D050799:STAT5 Transcription Factor; D050800:STAT6 Transcription Factor; C494088:Stat3 protein, rat; C494094:Stat5a protein, rat; C494097:Stat5b protein, rat; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; C079868:gamma interferon activation factor; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C507906:Jak1 protein, rat; C507927:Jak2 protein, rat; D053613:Janus Kinase 1; D053614:Janus Kinase 2; D053616:Janus Kinase 3; D053634:TYK2 Kinase; C499357:Tyk2 protein, rat; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases