Activation of STAT signaling pathways and induction of suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins in mammalian lens by growth factors.
OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to examine whether the effects of growth factors are mediated in the lens by Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathways and whether they induce expression of suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS), a novel family of feedback regulators of cytokine and growth factor activities.


METHODS
STAT activation and SOCS expression were analyzed in transgenic or wild-type mouse lens and lens epithelial cells stimulated with growth factors by immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, Northern, Western, proliferation, or transient reporter assays.


RESULTS
STATs were constitutively expressed at low levels and activated by insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-aa, and FGF-1 or -2 in the lens. The Intensity of STAT signaling increased at high FGF-2 concentration and FGFs act in synergy with IGF-1 or PDGFaa to enhance STAT signaling and SOCS expression. Growth factor-induced proliferation of lens cells is inhibited by AG-490, a specific inhibitor of JAK2/STAT3.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report that FGFs activate STAT pathways in the lens and that SOCS proteins are constitutively expressed and upregulated by growth factors in this tissue. Physiological relevance of STAT pathways in the lens is underscored by inhibition of lens cell proliferation by inhibitors of JAK/STAT pathways and by the aberrant proliferation of lens epithelium in the posterior pole of transgenic mice with constitutively activated STAT1 in the lens. Common activation of STAT pathways by FGF-1, FGF-2, IGF-1, or PDGFaa and their synergistic activation of STATs and SOCS in lens cells suggest that activities and crosstalk between these factors are sensitive to the steady state levels of activated STATs in the lens and may be under feedback regulation by SOCS family proteins.
Ebong
Samuel
S
Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
Yu
Cheng-Rong
CR
Carper
Deborah A
DA
Chepelinsky
Ana B
AB
Egwuagu
Charles E
CE
D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection; D015854:Up-Regulation
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006133:Growth Substances; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494080:Stat1 protein, mouse; C494087:Stat3 protein, mouse; D015534:Trans-Activators