title: The signaling pathways of erythropoietin and interferon-gamma differ in preventing the apoptosis of mature erythroid progenitor cells.
abstract: Interferon (IFN)-gamma is a survival factor for mature erythroid progenitor cells. To elucidate related survival mechanisms, we compared the role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) in the survival signals of IFN-gamma and erythropoietin (EPO). Human erythroid colony-forming cells (ECFCs) purified from peripheral blood were used, and Ly294002 was used as a PI3-kinase inhibitor. Treating ECFCs with a high concentration of Ly294002 (50 micromol/L) in the presence of EPO and/or IFN-gamma reduced cell viability by inducing apoptosis. However, treating cells with a lower concentration of Ly294002 (10 micromol/L) did not affect the antiapoptotic function of IFN-gamma and abolished the antiapoptotic effect of EPO. Adding IFN-gamma or EPO induced Bcl-x expression in ECFCs, as determined by Western blotting, and expression was suppressed in the presence of Ly294002. We also examined the phosphorylation of the protein kinase Akt, the downstream target of PI3-kinase. EPO stimulation significantly increased the level of Akt phosphorylation, but IFN-gamma did not. These results suggest that IFN-gamma plays a role in preventing the apoptosis of erythroid progenitor cells by affecting Bcl-x expression, thereby reducing the disruption of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential via PI3-kinase pathways that are related to but distinct from the EPO pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kittiphong
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Paiboonsukwong
authors.forename: Ilseung
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Takamitsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsushima
authors.forename: Yasunobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Pranee
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Winichagoon
authors.forename: Suthat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fucharoen
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nawata
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Muta
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects; D002867:Chromones / Q000494:pharmacology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015672:Erythroid Precursor Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational / Q000187:drug effects; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D051020:bcl-X Protein
chemical_list: D002867:Chromones; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D004921:Erythropoietin; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D009025:Morpholines; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D051020:bcl-X Protein; C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; C085911:2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one; C494918:AKT1 protein, human