Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-activated signaling pathways in human neutrophils. Involvement of Jak2 in the stimulation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. (1/1765)

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) regulates many of the biological activities of human neutrophils. The signaling pathways via which these effects are mediated are not fully understood. We have shown previously that GM-CSF treatment of human neutrophils activates the Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (Jak/STAT) pathway and, more specifically, Jak2, STAT3, and STAT5B in neutrophils. GM-CSF also stimulates the activity of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) in a tyrosine kinase-dependent manner. Here we report that pretreating the cells with a Jak2 inhibitor (AG-490) abolishes tyrosine phosphorylation of the p85 subunit of PI3-kinase induced by GM-CSF. Furthermore, p85 was found to associate with Jak2, but not with Lyn, in stimulated cells in situ and with its autophosphorylated form in vitro; however, Jak2 did not bind to either of the two Src homology 2 (SH2) domains of the p85 subunit of PI3-kinase. Although STAT5B bound to the carboxyl-terminal SH2 domain of p85, it was absent from the complex containing PI3-kinase and Jak2. These results suggest that stimulation of the activity of PI3-kinase induced by GM-CSF is mediated by Jak2 and that the association between Jak2 and p85 depends on an adaptor protein yet to be identified.  (+info)

Constitutive activation of JAK2 confers murine interleukin-3-independent survival and proliferation of BA/F3 cells. (2/1765)

The Janus tyrosine kinase 2 (JAK2) plays an essential role of cytokine receptor signaling, including that of the human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) receptor. We reported earlier that the activation of JAK2 is essential for all the examined signals induced by human GM-CSF through the box1 region of betac, such as promotion of cell survival and proliferation. To elucidate the role of JAK2 in cell survival and proliferation, we generated an artificial activation system by constructing a chimeric molecule (beta/JAK2) consisting of betac extracellular and transmembrane regions fused with JAK2, and we analyzed various signaling events in interleukin-3-dependent mouse pro-B cell, BA/F3. The beta/JAK2 was constitutively phosphorylated in the absence of human GM-CSF and murine interleukin-3, and this led to proliferation and cell survival. Western blot analysis showed that STAT5, Shc, and SHP-2 were not phosphorylated in the cells, and the consistent activation of beta-casein and c-fos promoters was not enhanced. In contrast, c-myc transcription was constitutively activated. We propose that the activation of beta/JAK2 suffices for survival and proliferation and that the activation of STAT5 and mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade is not required for these activities in BA/F3 cells.  (+info)

Thrombopoietin-induced conformational change in p53 lies downstream of the p44/p42 mitogen activated protein kinase cascade in the human growth factor-dependent cell line M07e. (3/1765)

Thrombopoietin is a cytokine with potent megakaryocytopoietic and thrombopoietic activities in vivo. Wild-type p53 is a conformationally flexible, anti-oncogenic transcription factor that plays a principal role in mediating growth factor withdrawal-induced apoptosis in factor-dependent hematopoietic cells. We recently reported that Tpo induces a conformational change in and functional inactivation of p53, coincident with its anti-apoptotic effects, in the human factor-dependent cell line M07e. In an effort to identify potential signaling cascades through which Tpo illicits these effects on p53, we report here that treating M07e cells with MAPK kinase inhibitor PD98059 dramatically suppressed Tpo-induced conformational change in p53 as well as Tpo-enhanced viability in M07e cells in a p53-dependent manner. Furthermore, the expression of constitutively active Raf1 in M07e cells induced conformational change in p53 independent of Tpo stimulation. Inhibition of the JAK/STAT pathway revealed that JAK/STAT signaling plays an insignificant role in conformational modulation of p53 and apoptosis suppression. Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase did not have a significant effect on p53 conformation but did have a weak but significant effect on Tpo-enhanced viability. Cytokine-induced activation of the MAPK pathway and the subsequent functional neutralization of p53, may be an event by which apoptosis is commonly suppressed in hematopoiesis.  (+info)

The JAK-binding protein JAB inhibits Janus tyrosine kinase activity through binding in the activation loop. (4/1765)

The Janus family of protein tyrosine kinases (JAKs) regulate cellular processes involved in cell growth, differentiation and transformation through their association with cytokine receptors. However, compared with other kinases, little is known about cellular regulators of the JAKs. We have recently identified a JAK-binding protein (JAB) that inhibits JAK signaling in cells. In the studies presented here we demonstrate that JAB specifically binds to the tyrosine residue (Y1007) in the activation loop of JAK2, whose phosphorylation is required for activation of kinase activity. Binding to the phosphorylated activation loop requires the JAB SH2 domain and an additional N-terminal 12 amino acids (extended SH2 subdomain) containing two residues (Ile68 and Leu75) that are conserved in JAB-related proteins. An additional N-terminal 12-amino-acid region (kinase inhibitory region) of JAB also contributes to high-affinity binding to the JAK2 tyrosine kinase domain and is required for inhibition of JAK2 signaling and kinase activity. Our studies define a novel type of regulation of tyrosine kinases and might provide a basis for the design of specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors.  (+info)

TGF-beta does not inhibit IL-12- and IL-2-induced activation of Janus kinases and STATs. (5/1765)

The immune system is an important target for the cytokine TGF-beta1, whose actions on lymphocytes are largely inhibitory. TGF-beta has been reported to inhibit IL-12- and IL-2-induced cell proliferation and IFN-gamma production by T cells and NK cells; however, the mechanisms of inhibition have not been clearly defined. It has been suggested by some studies that TGF-beta blocks cytokine-induced Janus kinase (JAK) and STAT activation, as in the case of IL-2. In contrast, other studies with cytokines like IFN-gamma have not found such an inhibition. The effect of TGF-beta on the IL-12-signaling pathway has not been addressed. We examined this and found that TGF-beta1 did not have any effect on IL-12-induced phosphorylation of JAK2, TYK2, and STAT4 although TGF-beta1 inhibited IL-2- and IL-12-induced IFN-gamma production. Similarly, but in contrast to previous reports, we found that TGF-beta1 did not inhibit IL-2-induced phosphorylation of JAK1, JAK3, and STAT5A. Furthermore, gel shift analysis showed that TGF-beta1 did not prevent activated STAT4 and STAT5A from binding to DNA. Our results demonstrate that the inhibitory effects of TGF-beta on IL-2- and IL-12-induced biological activities are not attributable to inhibition of activation of JAKs and STATs. Rather, our data suggest the existence of alternative mechanisms of inhibition by TGF-beta.  (+info)

Lineage-specific activation of STAT3 by interferon-gamma in human neutrophils. (6/1765)

Binding of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) to its heterodimeric receptor induces activation of the tyrosine kinases JAK1 and JAK2 followed by tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT1alpha. Selective activation of STAT1alpha at the IFN-gamma receptor is achieved by specific interaction between a cytosolic tyrosine motif including Y440 in the IFN-gamma receptor alpha-chain and the SH2 domain of STAT1alpha. We demonstrate that, in addition to STAT1alpha, STAT3 is also activated by IFN-gamma in human neutrophils. The activation of STAT3 was not found in human eosinophils, monocytes, and HL-60 cells, although the STAT3 protein was expressed in these cells. The cell type-specific activation of STAT3 by IFN-gamma was also observed in neutrophils that are differentiated in vitro from human CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells. These results indicate that a single cytokine receptor can activate different STAT family members in a cell-specific manner, which might result in cell-specific gene transcription.  (+info)

Growth hormone-dependent differentiation of 3T3-F442A preadipocytes requires Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription but not mitogen-activated protein kinase or p70 S6 kinase signaling. (7/1765)

The signals mediating growth hormone (GH)-dependent differentiation of 3T3-F442A preadipocytes under serum-free conditions have been studied. GH priming of cells was required before the induction of terminal differentiation by a combination of epidermal growth factor, tri-iodothyronine, and insulin. Cellular depletion of Janus kinase-2 (JAK-2) using antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) prevented GH-stimulated JAK-2 and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-5 tyrosine phosphorylation and severely attenuated the ability of GH to promote differentiation. Although p42(MAPK)/p44(MAPK) mitogen-activated protein kinases were activated during GH priming, treatment of cells with PD 098059, which prevented activation of these kinases, did not block GH priming. However, antisense ODN-mediated depletion of mitogen-activated protein kinases from the cells showed that their expression was necessary for terminal differentiation. Similarly, although p70(s6k) was activated during GH priming, pretreatment of cells with rapamycin, which prevented the activation of p70(s6k), had no effect on GH priming. However, rapamycin did partially block epidermal growth factor, tri-iodothyronine, and insulin-stimulated terminal differentiation. By contrast, cellular depletion of STAT-5 with antisense ODNs completely abolished the ability of GH to promote differentiation. These results indicate that JAK-2, acting specifically via STAT-5, is necessary for GH-dependent differentiation of 3T3-F442A preadipocytes. Activation of p42(MAPK)/p44(MAPK) and p70(s6k) is not essential for the promotion of differentiation by GH, although these signals are required for GH-independent terminal differentiation.  (+info)

Constitutive activation of the JAK2/STAT5 signal transduction pathway correlates with growth factor independence of megakaryocytic leukemic cell lines. (8/1765)

The factor-independent Dami/HEL and Meg-01 and factor-dependent Mo7e leukemic cell lines were used as models to investigate JAK/STAT signal transduction pathways in leukemic cell proliferation. Although Dami/HEL and Meg-01 cell proliferation in vitro was independent of and unresponsive to exogenous cytokines including granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-3 (IL-3), IL-6, thrombopoietin (TPO), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), the growth of Mo7e cells was dependent on hematopoietic growth factors. When these cell lines were cultured in medium without cytokines, a constitutively activated STAT-like DNA-binding factor was detected in nuclear extracts from both Dami/HEL and Meg-01 cells. However, the STAT-like factor was not detectable in untreated Mo7e cells, but was activated transiently in Mo7e cells in response to cytokine treatments. The constitutively activated and cytokine-induced STAT-like DNA-binding factor in these three cell lines was identified as STAT5 by oligonucleotide competition gel mobility assays and by specific anti-STAT antibody gel supershift assays. Constitutive activation of JAK2 also was detected in the factor-independent cell lines, but not in Mo7e cells without cytokine exposure. Meg-01 cells express a p185 BCR/ABL oncogene, which may be responsible for the constitutive activation of STAT5. Dami/HEL cells do not express the BCR/ABL oncogene, but increased constitutive phosphorylation of Raf-1 oncoprotein was detected. In cytokine bioassays using growth factor-dependent Mo7e and TF-1 cells as targets, conditioned media from Dami/HEL and Meg-01 cells did not show stimulatory effects on cell proliferation. Our results indicate that the constitutive activation of JAK2/STAT5 correlates with the factor-independent growth of Dami/HEL and Meg-01 cells. The constitutive activation of JAK2/STAT5 in Dami/HEL cells is triggered by a mechanism other than autocrine cytokines or the BCR/ABL oncoprotein.  (+info)