Alternative activation of STAT1 and STAT3 in response to interferon-gamma.
Interferon-gamma (IFNgamma) is a pluripotent cytokine whose major biological effects are mediated through a pathway in which STAT1 is the predominant and essential transcription factor. STAT3 can also be activated weakly by IFNgamma, but the mechanism of activation and function of STAT3 as a part of the interferon response are not known. Here we show that STAT3 activation is much stronger and more prolonged in STAT1-null mouse embryo fibroblasts than in wild-type cells. In response to IFNgamma, SRC-family kinases are required to activate STAT3 (but not STAT1) through tyrosine phosphorylation, whereas the receptor-bound kinases JAK1 and JAK2 are required to activate both STATs. Tyrosine 419 of the IFNgamma receptor subunit 1 (IFNGR1) is required to activate both STATs, suggesting that STAT1 and STAT3 compete with each other for the same receptor phosphotyrosine motif. Activated STAT3 can replace STAT1 in STAT1-null cells to drive the transcription of certain genes, for example, socs-3 and c/ebpdelta, which have gamma-activated sequence motifs in their promoters. Work from Ian Kerr's laboratory reveals that the gp130-linked interleukin-6 receptor, which usually activates STAT3 predominantly, activates STAT1 efficiently when STAT3 is absent. Because STAT1 and STAT3 have opposing biological effects (STAT3 is an oncogene, and STAT1 is a tumor suppressor), the reciprocal activation of these two transcription factors in response to IFNgamma or interleukin-6 suggests that their relative abundance, which may vary substantially in different normal cell types, under different conditions or in tumors is likely to have a major impact on how cells behave in response to different cytokines.
Department of Molecular Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.
Yulan
Y
Qing
George R
GR
Stark
D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D005347:Fibroblasts; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010766:Phosphorylation; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D000071223:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 Protein; D050826:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000378:metabolism; D019061:src-Family Kinases / Q000502:physiology
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C491411:Socs3 protein, mouse; C494080:Stat1 protein, mouse; C494087:Stat3 protein, mouse; D000071223:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 Protein; D050826:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014443:Tyrosine; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D019061:src-Family Kinases