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The Journal of Immunology, 1998, 160: 4337-4342.
Copyright © 1998 by The American Association of Immunologists

Analysis of the IFN-{gamma}-Signaling Pathway in Macrophages at Different Stages of Maturation1

David M. Lucas2, Mary A. Lokuta, Mary Ann McDowell, Joyce E. S. Doan3 and Donna M. Paulnock4

Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, WI 53706


    Abstract
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
We previously demonstrated that the macrophage cell lines RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 exhibit distinct patterns of gene expression in response to IFN-{gamma}. This difference is controlled at the transcriptional level and results from a specific inability of the less mature WEHI-3 cells to utilize either the IFN-stimulated response element or the {gamma}-activated sequence DNA regulatory element in response to stimulation with IFN-{gamma}, while other aspects of IFN-{gamma} gene induction remain intact. In the work described here, we examined the components of the IFN-{gamma} signal transduction pathway in RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 cells to determine whether differences in pathway components or activity exist in WEHI-3 cells that could give rise to this difference in transcriptional response. Reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) and flow cytometric analyses indicated that the levels of IFN-{gamma} receptor mRNA accumulation and protein expression are comparable for RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 cells. RT-PCR and immunoblot analyses revealed that the principal components of this signaling pathway, including JAK1, JAK2, and STAT1, are present in both RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 cells. However, analysis of STAT1 DNA-binding activity by electrophoretic mobility shift assay and of STAT1 phosphorylation by immunoblot revealed that this DNA-binding factor is active in RAW 264.7, but not in WEHI-3, cells after IFN-{gamma} stimulation. These results demonstrate that the components of the IFN-{gamma} signal transduction pathway are intact in WEHI-3 cells, but stimulation of these cells by IFN-{gamma} does not result in STAT1 activation.


    Introduction
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Our research is directed toward understanding the mechanisms of gene regulation in macrophages (MP)5 and how such regulation contributes to MP functional heterogeneity. MP perform a broad range of immunologic functions as both regulatory and effector cells; however, not all MP populations exhibit the same functional capabilities (reviewed in 1 . Contributing to this observed heterogeneity is the fact that full functional expression relies on the completion by the MP of two intersecting processes: maturation-associated differentiation and activation by exogenous stimuli. Both of these processes are largely under the control of cytokines, including the CSFs, which direct MP maturation, and cytokines such as IFN-{gamma}, which induce MP functional activation. Recent work from a number of laboratories has confirmed that such cytokine stimulation occurs as a result of specific receptor-ligand interactions, which ultimately result in the induction of proteins and molecules required for the expression of diverse MP effector functions (2).

IFN-{gamma} is one of the most potent MP-activating factors. Recent investigation of IFN-{gamma} signaling has elucidated the mechanism of IFN-{gamma}-mediated gene induction (3). Upon binding its ligand, the IFN-{gamma}R dimerizes and allows transphosphorylation of receptor-associated tyrosine kinases, JAK1 and JAK2. The activation of these kinases induces phosphorylation of the cytoplasmic tail of the receptor itself, which lacks intrinsic kinase activity. The cytosolic molecule STAT1 is then recruited to the activated receptor complex and phosphorylated. Upon phosphorylation, STAT1 proteins form a homodimer and translocate to the nucleus to enhance transcription via binding of the {gamma}-activated site (GAS) in the promoter of IFN-{gamma}-induced genes. Diverse members of the large family of cytokine receptors trigger similar signal transduction pathways, although the specific combinations of pathway components and target DNA elements differ in each case (2). These recent studies have highlighted the components of receptor-mediated signal transduction required to transmit an effective activation signal to IFN-{gamma}-stimulated cells.

Previous work by our laboratory and others has shown that the murine MP cell lines RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 differ in effector capability and in the population of genes induced by IFN-{gamma} (4, 5). In addition, previous studies have shown that these lines represent different stages of maturation, with RAW 264.7 phenotypically and functionally resembling a mature elicited MP, and WEHI-3 resembling a less mature, monocyte-like cell (5, 6, 7). Recently, we showed that two genetic regulatory elements, the IFN-stimulated response element (ISRE) and the GAS element, are differentially utilized in RAW 264.7 vs WEHI-3 cells, with both elements transcriptionally active in RAW 264.7 cells and inactive in WEHI-3 cells (5). These results suggested that differential promoter element utilization underlies the distinct patterns of IFN-{gamma}-mediated gene induction seen in these two cell lines and pointed to possible differences in the IFN-{gamma} signal transduction pathways expressed in the two cell populations.

In the studies described here, we examined the elements of the IFN-{gamma}-signaling pathway in RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 cells to test the hypothesis that an absence or lack of activity of the JAK/STAT molecules involved in the IFN-{gamma} signaling pathway is responsible for the restricted response to IFN-{gamma} in the less mature WEHI-3 cell line. These studies revealed that the known components of the IFN-{gamma}-signaling pathway are expressed in both RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 cells at comparable levels. However, the critical transcription factor STAT1 fails to be tyrosine phosphorylated in WEHI-3 cells following IFN-{gamma} stimulation and does not acquire the ability to undergo nuclear translocation or to bind to the GAS of the IFN consensus sequence-binding protein (ICSBP) gene. These results demonstrate that although the components of the IFN-{gamma} signal transduction pathway, including STAT1 protein, are present in WEHI-3, the activation of STAT1 does not occur in this less mature cell line. Such differences in regulation of the IFN-{gamma}-signaling pathway during MP development, and the resulting differences in IFN-{gamma}-induced gene expression, may contribute to the MP functional heterogeneity seen in vivo.


    Materials and Methods
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Cell culture

MP cell lines RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 (H-2d haplotype) were obtained from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC, Rockville, MD). Mycoplasma-free cell lines were maintained in RPMI 1640 medium (Life Technologies, Grand Island, NY) supplemented with 2 mM glutamine, 1 mM pyruvate, 50 U/ml penicillin, 50 µg/ml streptomycin, 2 g/L sodium bicarbonate (all from Sigma, St. Louis, MO), plus 10% FBS (Life Technologies), as described previously (9). For activation, the cells were stimulated with 20 U/ml murine rIFN-{gamma} (Schering, Bloomfield, NJ; sp. act. 1.7 x 106 U/mg; LPS levels <0.1 EU/ml by Limulus amebocyte lysate assay (provided by the American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA)) for various times up to 24 h, or mock stimulated with medium alone, as we have described (5).

Flow cytometry

Flow cytometry was performed as described previously (8). For these studies, 2 x 106 RAW 264.7 or WEHI-3 cells were analyzed for IFN-{gamma}R expression by indirect staining, using the rat anti-mouse anti-IFN-{gamma}R Ab GR20 (9) (hybridoma obtained from ATCC), or an isotype control Ab (5D4, produced in our laboratory), followed by FITC-conjugated RG7/9.1 (anti-rat {kappa}-chain) to detect bound Ab. Cells were fixed in 2% paraformaldehyde before analysis. Samples were analyzed on a Becton Dickinson FACScan flow cytometer with a logarithmic scale (Becton Dickinson, Bedford, MA); 104 cells were analyzed to generate staining histograms.

RNA isolation

Isolation of RNA from RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 MP was performed as described previously (5). Total RNA was isolated using 2 ml of RNA STAT-60 (Tel-Test "B," Friendswood, TX) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. To ensure that there was no genomic DNA contamination in the RNA to be used for reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR), the RNA preparation was then treated with DNase I (Sigma) in the presence of prime inhibitor (5' -> 3', Boulder, CO). The RNA was then repurified with RNA-STAT 60. Removal of genomic DNA was confirmed by lack of amplification of the constitutive gene G3PDH from this RNA preparation, as described below.

RT-PCR

Reverse transcription and PCR assays were performed as previously described (5). Briefly, cDNA was synthesized from 10 µg purified RNA after priming with oligo(dT) (Boehringer Mannheim, Indianapolis, IN). The final reaction volume was diluted to 200 µl, and 4 µl of each cDNA sample was used as a template for each gene-specific PCR amplification.

PCR amplifications were performed in 50-µl volumes in a 96-well thermocycler (MJ Research, Watertown, MA). To verify that equal amounts of cDNA were added to each PCR, G3PDH gene expression was assessed. The PCR products were separated in a 1% agarose gel and visualized by ethidium bromide staining.

G3PDH primers were purchased from Clontech Laboratories (Palo Alto, CA). The primers for the IFN-{gamma} receptor {alpha} and ß, JAK1, JAK2, and STAT1 genes were designed in our laboratory using the Oligo 4.0 Macintosh program (National Biosciences, Plymouth, MN) and were synthesized by Eppendorf (Madison, WI). The STAT1 primer sequences were described previously (5); the remaining primers had the following sequences: IFN-{gamma}R{alpha} sense: 5'-CGGTCGAAAAAGAAGAGTGTA-3'; antisense: 5'-TCGGGAGTGATAGGCGGTGAG-3'; IFN-{gamma}Rß sense: 5'-TACACTTCTCCCCTCCCTTTG-3'; antisense: 3'-ACATCATCTCGCTCCTTTTCT-3'; JAK1 sense: 5'-ATGGAAGACGGAGGCAATGGT-3'; antisense: 5'-GGAACTTTAGAGGCAGAATAC-3'; JAK2 sense: 5'-TGGAGATGTGCCGCTATGACC-3'; and antisense: 5'-TCTCGATGTATGTGAAAAGTT-3'.

Immunoblot analysis

SDS-PAGE was performed essentially as described (10). Briefly, RAW 264.7 or WEHI-3 cells, stimulated with IFN-{gamma} or mock stimulated, were lysed in Nonidet P-40 detergent lysis buffer and the protein concentration was determined by spectrophotometry (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA). Protein was incubated at 100°C for 1 min in Laemmli buffer, and 20 µg of total protein was loaded in each lane of a 12% SDS-polyacrylamide gel. After electrophoresis, the proteins were transferred electrophoretically onto nitrocellulose (Micron Separations, Westborough, MA). Following protein transfer, the nitrocellulose was incubated in PBS with 0.5% Tween-20 (PBS-Tween; Sigma) and 5% nonfat dry milk for 1 to 12 h at room temperature, rinsed with PBS-Tween, and incubated with the primary Ab for 1 to 2 h. The nitrocellulose membrane was washed three times in PBS-Tween and incubated with PBS-Tween plus anti-rabbit IgG secondary Ab conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (Bio-Rad). The blot was washed again and developed using LumiGLO reagents according to the manufacturer’s instructions (Kirkegaard & Perry Laboratories, Gaithersburg, MD). The concentration and source of the primary Abs used were: anti-JAK1, 1:1000 (Transduction Laboratories, Lexington, KY); anti-JAK2, 1:5000 (Upstate Biotechnology, Lake Placid, NY); anti-STAT1, 1:1000 (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Santa Cruz, CA); and anti-actin, 1:500 (Sigma). Densitometry was performed using a Zeineh model SL-2D scanning densitometer and accompanying software (Biomed Instruments, Fullerton, CA).

Analysis of STAT1 phosphorylation

The phosphorylation status of STAT1 was assessed by immunoprecipitation followed by immunoblot analysis. For these studies, STAT1 molecules were specifically immunoprecipitated from serum-starved WEHI-3 or RAW 264.7 cells, either mock-stimulated or following IFN-{gamma} stimulation. Cells were lysed in ice-cold immunoprecipitation buffer (50 mM Tris (pH 7.4), 150 mM NaCl, 1 mM EDTA (pH 7.4), 1 mM Na3 VO4, 20 mM ß-glycerol phosphate, 1 mM PMSF, 1 µg/ml leupeptin, and 2 µg/ml aprotinin plus 1% Nonidet P-40, 0.25% deoxycholate, and 0.1% SDS). STAT1 molecules were immunoprecipitated by incubation of lysates with protein A-Sepharose beads (Pharmacia-LKB, Piscatawy, NJ) followed by a polyclonal Ab to STAT1 (Santa Cruz Biotechnology). Precipitated proteins were released from the beads by boiling in SDS sample buffer and then separated by SDS-PAGE on a 10% acrylamide resolving gel. Immunoblot analysis using antiphosphotyrosine Abs was done essentially as described above, with some modifications. Briefly, following electrophoresis, proteins were transferred to polyvinylidene difluoride membranes (Immobilon-P, Millipore, Bedford, MA) and probed with a mixture of Abs specific for phosphotyrosine residues (4G10, Upstate Biotechnology; PY20, Transduction Laboratories) diluted according to the manufacturer’s suggestion in Tris-buffered saline containing 0.25% gelatin (Sigma). Immunoblots were then reacted with an anti-mouse Ig Ab conjugated to horseradish peroxidase and developed using the LumiGLO reagents (Kirkegaard & Perry Laboratories), as described above. Following phosphotyrosine analysis, peroxidase activity was quenched by incubation in 1.5% H2O2 for 15 to 30 min at room temperature and the blots were reprobed with an Ab to STAT1, as described above.

Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA)

Nuclear extracts were prepared as described (11). RAW 264.7 or WEHI-3 cells were stimulated with IFN-{gamma} or were mock stimulated for 30 min before lysis. A 25-bp double-stranded oligonucleotide corresponding to the GAS from the ICSBP promoter was used as a probe (sequence: 5'-GATCAGTGATTTCTCGGAAAGAGAG-3'). EMSA was performed essentially as described (11, 12). For supershifts, 1 µg anti-STAT1 Ab (Santa Cruz Biotechnology) or an irrelevant control Ab was added after the addition of labeled probe to nuclear extracts, and all samples were incubated 1 h at 4°C before electrophoresis. Shifted complexes were visualized directly by autoradiography after drying the gel.


    Results
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Analysis of expression of the IFN-{gamma} receptor in RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 cells

To determine whether differences in the IFN-{gamma} response between RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 cells could be due to the level of IFN-{gamma}R expression, we evaluated receptor expression at the mRNA and protein levels in RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 cells. Total RNA was isolated from both cell lines following treatment for 24 h with 20 U/ml IFN-{gamma} or with medium alone, and RT-PCR was performed to assess levels of mRNA encoding the IFN-{gamma}R {alpha}-chain, required for IFN-{gamma} binding, and the ß-chain, required for signaling (13). Both genes were constitutively expressed in RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 cells, and mRNA accumulation was not substantially altered by IFN-{gamma} stimulation (Fig. 1GoA).



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FIGURE 1. Expression of IFN-{gamma} receptor mRNA and cell surface protein in WEHI-3 and RAW 264.7 cells. A, Total RNA was isolated from cells mock-stimulated with medium alone (-) or incubated for 24 h with medium containing 20 U/ml IFN-{gamma} (+). RT-PCR was performed using primers to the IFN-{gamma}R {alpha}- and ß-chain genes, or to the control gene G3PDH, as described in Materials and Methods. PCR-amplified products were separated by electrophoresis and visualized by ethidium bromide staining. B, Flow cytometry was performed on unstimulated cells stained with the mAb GR20 (shaded area), recognizing the IFN-{gamma}R {alpha}-chain. The isotype-matched mAb 5D4 (open area) served as a control. Ab binding was detected using the FITC-conjugated mAb RG7/9.1.

 
To determine whether this RNA was translated in both RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3, we examined cell surface IFN-{gamma}R expression by flow cytometry, using GR20, a mAb directed against the IFN-{gamma}R {alpha}-chain (9). As shown in Figure 1GoB, the cell lines expressed comparable levels of IFN-{gamma}R. Taken together, these data demonstrate no substantial differences in IFN-{gamma}R expression between RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 cells.

Analysis of expression of JAK family kinases

The receptor-associated protein tyrosine kinases JAK1 and JAK2 have been shown to be necessary for signaling through the IFN-{gamma}R (14, 15). To determine whether differences in expression of these two proteins between RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 MP could explain the distinct IFN-{gamma} responses observed in these cells, we assessed production of JAK1 and JAK2 at both the mRNA and protein levels. RT-PCR analysis on RNA isolated from both cell lines showed that JAK1 and JAK2 mRNA was readily detectable in each cell line, with or without IFN-{gamma} treatment (Fig. 2GoA). Immunoblot analysis of protein from each cell line then was performed, as described in Materials and Methods, using Abs to JAK1 and JAK2. Anti-actin Abs were included as a positive control for protein preparations, gel loading, and transfer differences. Figure 2GoB shows that both RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 expressed JAK1 and JAK2 in comparable amounts before and after stimulation with IFN-{gamma}. Thus, both cell lines express similar levels of mRNA and protein for the tyrosine kinases JAK1 and JAK2.



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FIGURE 2. Expression of mRNA and protein for the JAK1 and JAK2 tyrosine kinase genes in WEHI-3 and RAW 264.7 cells. A, RT-PCR was performed as described for Figure 1Go, using primers to the genes for JAK1, JAK2, and G3PDH. B, Cell lysates were obtained from WEHI-3 or RAW 264.7 cells stimulated for 0, 2, 6, or 24 h with 20 U/ml IFN-{gamma}. Proteins were separated by SDS-PAGE and transferred to nitrocellulose. The membrane was incubated with appropriate Abs to JAK1, JAK2, or actin, followed by a secondary Ab conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. Proteins were detected by autoradiography following incubation of the membrane with a luminol substrate.

 
Analysis of expression of STAT1

The expression of the critical transcription factor STAT1 was analyzed by both RT-PCR and immunoblotting in RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 cells. Figure 3Go shows the results of RT-PCR analysis of STAT1 and the constitutively expressed gene G3PDH. STAT1 mRNA was expressed in RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 cells both with and without IFN-{gamma} stimulation (Fig. 3Go), as we have previously described (5). Visual assessment of the level of STAT1 mRNA suggested it was up-regulated in both cell lines following IFN-{gamma} treatment, although the RT-PCR analysis did not allow quantitation of STAT1 levels. We then performed immunoblot analysis of RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 cell lysates using STAT1 Ab. STAT1 protein was constitutively expressed in both cell lines, and protein levels appeared to be up-regulated following IFN-{gamma} treatment, in a manner similar to that observed for mRNA (Fig. 4GoA). To determine more accurately the level of protein induction seen after IFN-{gamma} treatment, we compared the level of STAT1 protein expression in control and IFN-{gamma}-treated cells by densitometry, using actin expression to normalize the data. This quantitation revealed that STAT1 protein levels are induced to similar levels by IFN-{gamma} in both cell populations (Fig. 4GoB). These data demonstrate that RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 cells express readily detectable levels of constitutive and inducible STAT1 mRNA and protein.



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FIGURE 3. Expression of mRNA for the STAT1 gene in WEHI-3 and RAW 264.7 cells with and without IFN-{gamma} stimulation. RT-PCR was performed as described for Figure 1Go, using primers to the genes for STAT1 and G3PDH.

 


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FIGURE 4. Expression of STAT1 protein in WEHI-3 and RAW 264.7 cells. A, Immunoblotting and STAT1 protein detection was performed as described for Figure 2Go, using a polyclonal Ab that recognizes the 91-kDa and the 84-kDa isoforms of STAT1. B, The ratios of STAT1 to actin protein values from the densitometer readout were plotted vs hours of IFN-{gamma} stimulation for extracts from WEHI-3 and RAW 264.7 cells.

 
Analysis of STAT1 transcriptional activity

Signaling through the IFN-{gamma}R ultimately effects gene transcription through utilization of GAS elements in the promoters of IFN-{gamma}-inducible genes (18, 19, 20). We used the GAS from the promoter of the ICSBP gene in an EMSA to detect GAS-binding proteins in the two cell lines. As is shown in Figure 5Go, both cell lines possessed nuclear proteins that bound to the GAS element. Some differences in the pattern of protein binding were detectable between the two cell lines, as we have observed previously (12). This binding was specific, since competition with excess unlabeled GAS oligonucleotide effectively competed for this binding (Fig. 5Go). To determine whether the STAT1 protein we detected by immunoblot in both RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 cells was active and capable of DNA binding in both cell lines, we incubated the EMSA reaction mixture with Ab to STAT1 or a control Ab, as described in Materials and Methods. Addition of the STAT1 Ab resulted in formation of a supershifted complex, visualized most readily by concomitant disappearance of the original STAT1-containing band, in the RAW 264.7 cells after treatment with IFN-{gamma} (Fig. 5Go). However, no changes were detected using nuclear extracts from IFN-stimulated WEHI-3 cells or following the addition of the irrelevant (control) Ab. These results demonstrate that while STAT1 undergoes nuclear translocation following IFN-{gamma} stimulation in RAW 264.7 cells, and is capable of binding specifically to the ICSBP GAS element, this factor is not productively activated in IFN-{gamma}-stimulated WEHI-3 cells.



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FIGURE 5. STAT1 DNA binding in WEHI-3 and RAW 264.7 MP. EMSA analysis was performed using nuclear extracts prepared from WEHI-3 (W) or RAW 264.7 (R) cells stimulated with 20 U/ml IFN-{gamma} (+) or mock stimulated with medium alone (-) for 30 min. The GAS element from the promoter of ICSBP was used as a probe. Where indicated, 100-fold excess unlabeled probe was added as a cold competitor (cc). In some cases, 1 µg of STAT1-specific or irrelevant control (Ctrl) Ab was added to reactions, and all reactions were incubated for an additional hour before electrophoresis. The STAT1-reactive band is indicated by the arrow on the right side of the gel.

 
Analysis of STAT1 activation following IFN-{gamma} stimulation

The absence of detectable STAT1-binding activity in nuclear extracts of WEHI-3 cells raised the question of whether STAT1 is phosphorylated in these cells in response to IFN-{gamma}. We therefore analyzed the phosphorylation status of STAT1 by immunoblot analysis in both cell lines, before and after IFN-{gamma} treatment. For these experiments, STAT1 was immunoprecipitated from cell lysates, separated by electrophoresis, and probed with a mixture of Abs specific for phosphorylated tyrosine residues, as described in Materials and Methods. As shown in Figure 6Go, phosphorylated STAT1 molecules were detected only in RAW 264.7 cells treated with IFN-{gamma} (Fig. 6GoA). The identity of the phosphorylated band was confirmed by subsequent probing of the blots with a polyclonal Ab against STAT1, as described above (Fig. 6GoB). These results demonstrate that STAT1 is effectively phosphorylated in response to IFN-{gamma} stimulation in RAW 264.7, but not WEHI-3, cells.



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FIGURE 6. Phosphorylation of STAT1 in WEHI-3 and RAW 264.7 cells in response to IFN-{gamma}. A, STAT1 molecules were specifically immunoprecipitated from RAW 264.7 and WEHI-3 cells stimulated with 20 U/ml IFN-{gamma} (+) or mock-stimulated with medium alone (-) for 30 min, separated by electrophoresis, and probed with Abs specific for phosphorylated tyrosine residues. Immunoblots were developed as described in the legend for Figure 2Go. B, Immunoblots probed with anti-phosphotyrosine Abs were quenched by incubation in H2O2 and reprobed with a polyclonal Ab recognizing STAT1, as described in the legend to Figure 4Go.

 

    Discussion
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
The results presented here demonstrate that both the WEHI-3 and the RAW 264.7 MP cell lines possess an apparently intact STAT1-signaling pathway at the level of expression of requisite pathway components. However, productive activation of the STAT1 transcription factor, as measured by tyrosine phosphorylation status, nuclear translocation, and subsequent binding to the ICSBP GAS regulatory element, occurs only in RAW 264.7 cells. This observation provides a mechanistic basis for our previous studies demonstrating that, although the WEHI-3 cell line is responsive to IFN-{gamma} and capable of up-regulating some genes after IFN-{gamma} stimulation, this response does not include expression of genes that rely primarily on the ISRE or GAS elements (5). Thus, the IFN-{gamma} response in WEHI-3 cells is modulated via the regulation of activation of a critical signaling protein. This regulation leads to the selective pattern of IFN-{gamma}-induced gene expression observed in these less mature MP.

The IFN-{gamma}-signaling pathway has been the target of considerable study since it was first outlined in a series of reports by Darnell et al. (reviewed in 3 . These studies revealed that IFN-{gamma}-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and DNA-binding activity of the 91-kDa component of the transcription factor ISGF3{alpha}, later renamed STAT1, was critical for initiation of gene expression in several cell types (16). They and others also showed that the target of this binding factor generally is the GAS element found in the promoters of many IFN-{gamma}-inducible genes (17, 18, 19, 20). However, recent studies in MP suggest that these cells may have additional complexity in terms of their IFN-{gamma} response. For example, studies in our laboratory demonstrated that some genes containing GAS regulatory elements, including Fc{gamma}RI and class II transactivator, are induced by IFN-{gamma} in WEHI-3 cells, while others, like ICSBP, remain unexpressed (Ref. 5 and our unpublished observations). These observations suggest that MP may differentially utilize specific GAS elements at different stages of development.

In addition to differences dependent on the nature of the responding cell, the level of serine phosphorylation on STAT1 may affect its ability to effectively induce gene transcription (22). Although serine phosphorylation is not required for STAT1 homodimer binding to DNA in vitro (23), it appears to act to promote homodimer formation and transcriptional activation (24). This may be an important site of regulation in MP populations since studies in the human monocytic U937 cell line indicated that serine phosphorylation increased as U937 differentiated in vitro, while levels of tyrosine phosphorylation remained the same (24).

Finally, recent analyses of the regulation of the murine guanylate-binding proteins have demonstrated that IFN-{gamma}-mediated induction of these genes occurs through the use of a DNA response element, the ISRE, and transcription factors, including IRF-1, which are distinct from those typically described for GAS-mediated response described in other IFN-activated genes (12, 25). Taken together, these results suggest that the IFN-{gamma}-signaling pathway in MP may be regulated at several levels.

Our previous studies demonstrated that MP cell lines that differ in maturational state have distinct responses to IFN-{gamma} in both the acquisition of effector function (4) and the population of genes induced (5, 21). These findings echo those reported by others for primary MP cell populations, particularly the observation that monocyte differentiation is accompanied by acquisition of numerous effector functions including Ag presentation and tumoricidal activity (26, 27, 28). The studies reported here using homogeneous MP cell lines provide a molecular explanation of the heterogeneous IFN-{gamma} response routinely observed in primary MP. Thus, the outcome of the IFN-{gamma} response in individual MP may vary due to differential STAT1 phosphorylation as a result of differentiation stage, ultimately influencing the biologic response of activated cells.


    Acknowledgments
 
We thank Christan Heagy for excellent assistance with immunoblot analyses, Kristin Elmer of the University of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center for assistance with the flow cytometric analyses, and Dr. Curtis Brandt (Department of Ophthalmology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, WI) for use of his scanning densitometer. We also are grateful for the advice of Jon Houtman and Dr. Paul Bertics (Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin Medical School) concerning the phosphorylation studies.


    Footnotes
 
1 This work was supported by U.S. Public Health Service Grant CA59010 awarded to D.M.P. Back

2 Current address: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98104. Back

3 J.E.S.D. is supported by a predoctoral fellowship awarded from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD. Back

4 Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Donna Paulnock, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, 1300 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706. E-mail address: Back

5 Abbreviations used in this paper: MP, macrophages; ISRE, IFN-stimulated response element; GAS, {gamma}-activated site; ICSBP, interferon consensus sequence-binding protein; EMSA, electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Back

Received for publication June 4, 1997. Accepted for publication January 7, 1998.


    References
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 

  1. Adams, D. O., T. A. Hamilton. 1984. The cell biology of MP activation. Annu. Rev. Immunol. 2:283.[Medline]
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