C/EBPbeta mediates synergistic upregulation of gene expression by interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are potent immunoregulators and have shown clinical utility in suppressing immunity. MSC function is modulated by cytokines, since inflammatory cytokines, such as interferon-gamma (IFNgamma) concomitant with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha), induce their immunoregulatory capability. Here, we show that IFNgamma and TNFalpha act synergistically to induce high levels of expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and several other immune-related molecules in MSCs in vitro. We further found that, while either IFNgamma or TNFalpha alone induced minor expression of C/EBPbeta in MSCs, this transcription factor was dramatically upregulated when these cytokines were added together. A causal relationship between C/EBPbeta upregulation and IL-6 expression was demonstrated by small interfering RNA knockdown of C/EBPbeta. C/EBPbeta knockdown also inhibited the synergistic expression of CXCL1, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and CCL5 in response to concomitant IFNgamma and TNFalpha. We conclude that C/EBPbeta is a key transcription factor in synergistic gene upregulation by IFNgamma and TNFalpha. Importantly, C/EBPbeta similarly mediated synergistic gene induction in response to IFNgamma accompanied by IL-1beta or lipopolysaccharide, suggesting that synergy between IFNgamma and other stimuli share C/EBPbeta as common mechanism. Furthermore, while STAT1 is critical in IFNgamma signaling, we found that STAT1 knockdown in MSCs did not affect C/EBPbeta expression or the synergistic induction of IL-6 and CXCL1 by IFNgamma and TNFalpha. Thus, C/EBPbeta is not regulated by STAT1. These results demonstrate the importance of cytokine interactions in MSC immunobiology, a better understanding of which will allow improved clinical application of these cells.
Department of Molecular Genetics, Microbiology and Immunology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA.
Guangwu
G
Xu
Yingyu
Y
Zhang
Liying
L
Zhang
Arthur I
AI
Roberts
Yufang
Y
Shi
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D022782:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000378:metabolism; D054360:Chemokine CXCL1 / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation
D022782:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta; D018946:Chemokine CCL5; D054360:Chemokine CXCL1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II