title: Effects of interleukin-15 on neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells.
abstract: Interleukin-15 (IL-15) signaling has pleiotropic actions in many cell types during development and has been best studied in cells of immune system lineage, where IL-15 stimulates proliferation of cytotoxic T cells and induces maturation of natural killer cells. A few reports have indicated that IL-15 and the IL-15 receptor are expressed in central nervous system tissues and neuronal cell lines. Because this aspect of IL-15 action is poorly studied, we used cultured rat neural stem cells (NSCs) to study IL-15 signal transduction and activity. Primary cultures of rat NSCs in culture will form neurospheres and will differentiate into neuron, astrocyte, and oligodendrocyte progenitors under permissive conditions. We found by immunofluorescence that the IL-15Ralpha subunit of the IL-15 receptor was expressed in NSCs and differentiating neurons, but not astrocyte or oligodendrocyte progenitors. We also showed that IL-15 treatment reduced MAP-2 protein levels in neurons and could reduce neurite outgrowth in differentiating neurons but did not affect NSC proliferation, and cell proportions and viability of the corresponding lineage cells. In the presence of a STAT3 inhibitor, Stattic, IL-15 no longer reduced MAP-2 protein levels. IL-15 treatment caused STAT3 phosphorylation. Furthermore, using anti-IL-15Ralpha antibody to block IL-15 signaling completely inhibited IL-15-induced phosphorylation of STAT3 and prevented IL-15 from decreasing neurite outgrowth. In conclusion, IL-15 may influence neural cell differentiation through a signal transduction pathway involving IL-15Ralpha and STAT3. This signal transduction modifies MAP-2 protein levels and, consequently, the differentiation of neurons from NSCs, as evidenced by reduced neurite outgrowth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yuahn-Sieh
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Shin-Nan
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Sheau-Huei
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chueh
authors.forename: Yung-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Nien-Hsien
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Liou
authors.forename: Yaw-Wen
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Mei-Hsiu
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Lie-Hang
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Chia-Chieh
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jiang-Chuan
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kuo-Hsing
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000502:physiology; D019070:Cell Lineage; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000378:metabolism*; D053720:Interleukin-15 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016501:Neurites / Q000502:physiology; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000502:physiology; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D019409:Interleukin-15; D053720:Interleukin-15 Receptor alpha Subunit; C489787:MAP2 protein, rat; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494088:Stat3 protein, rat