Insulin inhibits growth hormone signaling via the growth hormone receptor/JAK2/STAT5B pathway

Insulin is important for maintaining the responsiveness of the liver to growth hormone (GH). Insulin deficiency results in a decrease in liver GH receptor (GHR) expression, which can be reversed by insulin administration. In osteoblasts, continuous insulin treatment decreases the fraction of cellular GHR localized to the plasma membrane. Thus, it is not clear whether hyperinsulinemia results in an enhancement or inhibition of GH action. We asked whether continuous insulin stimulation, similar to what occurs in hyperinsulinemic states, results in GH resistance. Our present studies suggest that insulin treatment of hepatoma cells results in a time-dependent inhibition of acute GH-induced phosphorylation of STAT5B. Whereas total protein levels of JAK2 were not reduced after insulin pretreatment for 16 h, GH-induced JAK2 phosphorylation was inhibited. There was a concomitant decrease in GH binding and a reduction in immunoreactive GHR levels following pretreatment with insulin for 8-24 h. In summary, continuous insulin treatment in rat H4 hepatoma cells reduces GH binding, immunoreactive GHR, GH-induced phosphorylation of JAK2, and GH-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT5B. These findings suggest that hepatic GH resistance may develop when a patient exhibits chronic hyperinsulinemia, a condition often observed in patients with obesity and in the early stage of Type 2 diabetes.     

Differential effects of prolactin and src/abl kinases on the nuclear translocation of STAT5B and STAT5A.

In this study, DNA binding and tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT5A and STAT5B were compared with their subcellular localization determined using indirect immunofluorescence microscopy. Following prolactin activation, both STAT5A and STAT5B were rapidly translocated into the nucleus and displayed a detergent-resistant, punctate nuclear staining pattern. Similar to prolactin induction, src activation resulted in tyrosine phosphorylation and DNA binding of both STAT5A and STAT5B. However, nuclear translocation of only STAT5B but not STAT5A was observed. This selective nuclear translocation appears to be mediated via the carboxyl-terminal sequences in STAT5B. Furthermore, overexpression of a dominant negative kinase-inactive mutant of JAK2 prevented prolactin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT5A and STAT5B but did not block src kinase activation and nuclear translocation of STAT5B. In co-transfection assays, prolactin-mediated activation but not src kinase-mediated activation of STAT5B resulted in the induction of a beta-casein promoter-driven reporter construct. These results suggest that STAT5 activation by src may occur by a mechanism distinct from that employed in cytokine activation of the JAK/STAT pathway, resulting in the selective nuclear translocation of STAT5B.     

Fhit protein inhibits cell growth by attenuating the signaling mediated by nuclear factor-kappaB in colon cancer cell lines

Fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene is involved in the deletions at the 3p14.2 region in various cancers. We investigated the role of Fhit protein in cell growth by examining the signaling pathway affected by Fhit. We used 3 human colon cancer cell lines, SW480, DLD-1 and COLO201, in the study. SW480 cells, in which the expression of Fhit is completely absent, were transfected with pIRES1neo vector (SW/IRES cells), wild-type FHIT vector (SW/FHIT cells) or mt-FHIT (codon 96, His changed to Asn) vector (SW/mt-FHIT cells). The growth of SW/FHIT or SW/mt-FHIT cells was suppressed in comparison with that of parent or SW/IRES cells. Especially, the growth of SW/FHIT cells was considerably suppressed. On the other hand, the silencing of FHIT by an siRNA for it in SW/FHIT or DLD-1 cells harboring Fhit demonstrated that the growth of FHIT siRNA-treated cells was significantly enhanced in comparison with that of the vector control or nonspecific siRNA control. Thus, we found that Fhit negatively contributed to cell growth in the colon cancer cell lines. Moreover, SW/FHIT cells exhibited a higher sensitivity to oxidative stress evoked by inhibitors of mitochondrial electron transport or proteasomes compared with any of the control transfectants. The base line amount of phospho-IkappaB-alpha (p-IkappaB-alpha) was reduced in SW/FHIT cells compared with that in the other transfectants. On the contrary, the FHIT siRNA-treated SW/FHIT and DLD-1 cells exhibited an elevated p-IkappaB-alpha level in an RNAi experiment on FHIT. Perturbation of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB signaling was strongly suggested by the fact that the wild-type Fhit expressants of SW480 cells tended to be sensitive to sulfasarazine or parthenolide, which are inhibitors of NF-kappaB. The time course of the level of IkappaB kinase (IKK) complex (IKKalpha/beta, phospho-IKKalpha/beta and IKKgamma) after the treatment with TNF-alpha was similar between the transfectants. Although p-IkappaB-alpha and phospho-NF-kappaB p65 (p-NF-kappaB) in SW/FHIT cells responded to TNF-alpha as those in other transfectants, the increase in the levels of p-IkappaB-alpha and p-NF-kappaB after a 5-min treatment was less in SW/FHIT cells than in the other transfectants. These results altogether suggest that Fhit functions as an anti-oncoprotein by inhibiting the phosphorylation of IkappaB-alpha and thereby blocking NF-kappaB signaling.     

Differential STAT5 signaling by ligand-dependent and constitutively active cytokine receptors

Many leukemia and cancer cells exhibit constitutive activation of STAT5, which was suggested to provide an anti-apoptotic advantage. Transformation of cytokine-dependent hematopoietic cells, such as Ba/F3 cells to autonomous growth and tumorigenicity equally results in selection for constitutive activation of STAT5. We compared STAT5 signaling between erythropoietin(Epo)-dependent cells and cells that were transformed by oncogenic activation of the erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) by coexpression of the gp55-P envelope protein of the spleen focus forming virus or by expression of the R129C constitutively active EpoR mutant. In transformed cells it was mainly STAT5B that was constitutively activated. In contrast, Epo stimulation activated both STAT5A and STAT5B. In transformed cells, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) showed STAT5 to be physically bound to promoters of STAT5 target genes, such as Bcl(XL), and to be able to promote transactivation of the Bcl(XL) promoter in a constitutive fashion. Sequencing of native sequences after ChIP with anti-STAT5 antibodies in Epo-dependent and -transformed cells indicated that in gp55-transformed cells, STAT5B bound in the chromatin not only to N3 high affinity, but also to low affinity N4 GAS sites. Transactivation for N3 GAS sites in luciferase reporters was specific to gp55 transformation. Because we also found preferential constitutive STAT5B activation after transformation of cells by a truncated form of the G-CSF-R that produces severe neutropenia (Kostmann syndrome) and favors leukemia in humans, we discuss the potential role of STAT5B in oncogenic transformation of hematopoietic cells.     

Growth hormone and prolactin receptors in adipogenesis: STAT-5 activation, suppressors of cytokine signaling, and regulation of insulin-like growth factor I

Growth hormone GH stimulates lipolysis in mature adipocytes and primary preadipocytes but promotes adipogenesis in preadipocyte cell lines. The lactogenic hormones (prolactin PRL and placental lactogen) also stimulate adipogenesis in preadipocyte cell lines but have variable lipolytic and lipogenic effects in mature adipose tissue. We hypothesized that differences in expression of GH receptors GHR and PRL receptors PRLR during adipocyte development might explain some of the differential effects of the somatogens and lactogens on fat metabolism. To that end, we compared: (a) the expression of GHR and PRLR mRNAs in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes during the course of adipocyte differentiation; (b) the induction of STAT-5 activity by GH and PRL during adipogenesis; and (c) the acute effects of GH and PRL on the suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS-1-3 and cytokine-inducible SH2-domain-containing protein CIS) and IGF-I. In confluent, undifferentiated 3T3-L1 cells, the levels of GHR mRNA were approximately 250-fold higher than the levels of PRLR mRNA. Following induction of adipocyte differentiation the levels of PRLR mRNA rose 90-fold but GHR mRNA increased only 0.8-fold. Expression of both full-length (long) and truncated (short) isoforms of the PRLR increased during differentiation but the long isoform predominated at all time points. Mouse GH mGH stimulated increases in STAT-5a and 5b activity in undifferentiated as well as differentiating 3T3-L1 cells; mouse PRL mPRL had little or no effect on STAT-5 activity in undifferentiated cells but stimulated increases in STAT-5a and 5b activity in differentiating cells. mGH stimulated increases in SOCS-2 and SOCS-3 mRNAs in undifferentiated cells and SOCS-1-3 and CIS mRNAs in differentiating cells; mPRL induced CIS in differentiating cells but had no effect on SOCS-1-3. mPRL and mGH stimulated increases in IGF-I mRNA in differentiating cells but not in undifferentiated cells; the potency of mGH (3-6-fold increase, p < 0.01) exceeded that of mPRL (40-90% increase, p < 0.05). Our findings reveal disparities in the expression of PRLR and GHR during adipocyte development and differential effects of the hormones on STAT-5, the SOCS proteins, CIS, and IGF-I. These observations suggest that somatogens and lactogens regulate adipocyte development and fat metabolism through distinct but overlapping cellular mechanisms.     

Hendra virus V protein inhibits interferon signaling by preventing STAT1 and STAT2 nuclear accumulation

The V protein of the recently emerged paramyxovirus, Nipah virus, has been shown to inhibit interferon (IFN) signal transduction through cytoplasmic sequestration of cellular STAT1 and STAT2 in high-molecular-weight complexes. Here we demonstrate that the closely related Hendra virus V protein also inhibits cellular responses to IFN through binding and cytoplasmic sequestration of both STAT1 and STAT2, but not STAT3. These findings demonstrate a V protein-mediated IFN signal evasion mechanism that is a general property of the known Henipavirus species.     

Development of a novel ligand that activates JAK2/STAT5 signaling through a heterodimer of prolactin receptor and growth hormone receptor

The objective of this study was to determine if a functional heterodimer of prolactin receptor (PRLR) and growth hormone receptor (GHR) can be formed in humans. A novel ligand was designed that is composed of a GHR antagonist (B2036) and a PRLR antagonist (G129R) fused in tandem (B2036-G129R). Because both B2036 and G129R are binding site 2 inactive antagonists, the B2036-G129R fusion protein, in theory contains only two functional binding site 1s: one for GHR and one for PRLR. We examined the behavior of this chimeric ligand in cell lines known to express GHR, PRLR, or both receptors. The data presented show that B2036-G129R is inactive in IM-9 cells that express only GHR or Nb2 cells that express PRLR. In T-47D cells that coexpress PRLR and GHR, B2036-G129R activates JAK2/STAT5 signaling. These findings provide evidence that B2036-G129R is able to activate signal transduction through a heterodimer of PRLR and GHR in humans.     

Insulin-like growth factor-I augments prolactin and inhibits growth hormone release through distinct as well as overlapping cellular signaling pathways

We recently discovered a new role for insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) as a specific and direct stimulator of prolactin (PRL) release in addition to its recognized function as an inhibitor of growth hormone (GH) release and synthesis. Little is known of the mechanisms that transduce the actions of IGF-I on PRL and GH release in vertebrates. The present study was undertaken to determine the cellular pathways that mediate the disparate actions of IGF-I on PRL and GH release in hybrid striped bass (Morone saxatilis X M. chrysops). When regulating cellular function, IGF-I may activate two primary pathways, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-K) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). The specific MAPK inhibitor, PD98059, blocked IGF-I-evoked PRL release as well as GH release inhibition over an 18-20-h incubation. LY294002, a specific PI 3-K inhibitor, overcame IGF-I's inhibition of GH release but was ineffective in blocking PRL release stimulated by IGF-I. These studies suggest IGF-I disparately alters PRL and GH by activating distinct as well as overlapping signaling pathways central for mediating actions of growth factors on secretory activity as well as cell proliferation. These results further support a role for IGF-I as a physiological regulator of PRL and GH.