Human Glucocorticoid Receptor β Regulates Gluconeogenesis and Inflammation in Mouse Liver

While in vitro studies have demonstrated that a glucocorticoid receptor (GR) splice isoform, β-isoform of human GR (hGRβ), acts as a dominant-negative inhibitor of the classic hGRα and confers glucocorticoid resistance, the in vivo function of hGRβ is poorly understood. To this end, we created an adeno-associated virus (AAV) to express hGRβ in the mouse liver under the control of the hepatocyte-specific promoter. Genome-wide expression analysis of mouse livers showed that hGRβ significantly increased the expression of numerous genes, many of which are involved in endocrine system disorders and the inflammatory response. Physiologically, hGRβ antagonized GRα''s function and attenuated hepatic gluconeogenesis through downregulation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) in wild-type (WT) mouse liver. Interestingly, however, hGRβ did not repress PEPCK in GR liver knockout (GRLKO) mice. In contrast, hGRβ regulates the expression of STAT1 in the livers of both WT and GRLKO mice. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that hGRβ binds to the intergenic glucocorticoid response element (GRE) of the STAT1 gene. Furthermore, treatment with RU486 inhibited the upregulation of STAT1 mediated by hGRβ. Finally, our array data demonstrate that hGRβ regulates unique components of liver gene expression in vivo by both GRα-dependent and GRα-independent mechanisms.     

Autophagy Facilitates IFN-γ-induced Jak2-STAT1 Activation and Cellular Inflammation

Autophagy is regulated for IFN-γ-mediated antimicrobial efficacy; however, its molecular effects for IFN-γ signaling are largely unknown. Here, we show that autophagy facilitates IFN-γ-activated Jak2-STAT1. IFN-γ induces autophagy in wild-type but not in autophagy protein 5 (Atg5^−/−)-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), and, autophagy-dependently, IFN-γ induces IFN regulatory factor 1 and cellular inflammatory responses. Pharmacologically inhibiting autophagy using 3-methyladenine, a known inhibitor of class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, confirms these effects. Either Atg5^−/− or Atg7^−/− MEFs are, independent of changes in IFN-γ receptor expression, resistant to IFN-γ-activated Jak2-STAT1, which suggests that autophagy is important for IFN-γ signal transduction. Lentivirus-based short hairpin RNA for Atg5 knockdown confirmed the importance of autophagy for IFN-γ-activated STAT1. Without autophagy, reactive oxygen species increase and cause SHP2 (Src homology-2 domain-containing phosphatase 2)-regulated STAT1 inactivation. Inhibiting SHP2 reversed both cellular inflammation and the IFN-γ-induced activation of STAT1 in Atg5^−/− MEFs. Our study provides evidence that there is a link between autophagy and both IFN-γ signaling and cellular inflammation and that autophagy, because it inhibits the expression of reactive oxygen species and SHP2, is pivotal for Jak2-STAT1 activation.     

Pretreatment with Fucoidan from Fucus vesiculosus Protected against ConA-Induced Acute Liver Injury by Inhibiting Both Intrinsic and Extrinsic Apoptosis

This study aimed to explore the effects of fucoidan from Fucus vesiculosus on concanavalin A (ConA)-induced acute liver injury in mice. Pretreatment with fucoidan protected liver function indicated by ALT, AST and histopathological changes by suppressing inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ). In addition, intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis mediated by Bax, Bid, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Caspase 3, 8, and 9 were inhibited by fucoidan and the action was associated with the TRADD/TRAF2 and JAK2/STAT1 signal pathways. Our results demonstrated that fucoidan from Fucus vesiculosus alleviated ConA-induced acute liver injury via the inhibition of intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis mediated by the TRADD/TRAF2 and JAK2/STAT1 pathways which were activated by TNF-α and IFN-γ. These findings could provide a potential powerful therapy for T cell-related hepatitis.     

Attenuated expression of tenascin-c in ovalbumin-challenged STAT4-/- mice

Background

Asthma leads to structural changes in the airways, including the modification of extracellular matrix proteins such as tenascin-C. The role of tenascin-C is unclear, but it might act as an early initiator of airway wall remodelling, as its expression is increased in the mouse and human airways during allergic inflammation. In this study, we examined whether Th1 or Th2 cells are important regulators of tenascin-C in experimental allergic asthma utilizing mice with impaired Th1 (STAT4-/-) or Th2 (STAT6-/-) immunity.

Methods

Balb/c wildtype (WT), STAT4-/- and STAT6-/- mice were sensitized with intraperitoneally injected ovalbumin (OVA) followed by OVA or PBS airway challenge. Airway hyperreactivity (AHR) was measured and samples were collected. Real time PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to study cytokines and differences in the expression of tenascin-C. Tenascin-C expression was measured in human fibroblasts after treatment with TNF-α and IFN-γ in vitro.

Results

OVA-challenged WT mice showed allergic inflammation and AHR in the airways along with increased expression of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-4 and tenascin-C in the lungs. OVA-challenged STAT4-/- mice exhibited elevated AHR and pulmonary eosinophilia. The mRNA expression of TNF-α and IFN-γ was low, but the expression of IL-4 was significantly elevated in these mice. OVA-challenged STAT6-/- mice had neither AHR nor pulmonary eosinophilia, but had increased expression of mRNA for TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-4. The expression of tenascin-C in the lungs of OVA-challenged STAT4-/- mice was weaker than in those of OVA-challenged WT and STAT6-/- mice suggesting that TNF-α and IFN-γ may regulate tenascin-C expression in vivo. The stimulation of human fibroblasts with TNF-α and IFN-γ induced the expression of tenascin-C confirming our in vivo findings.

Conclusions

Expression of tenascin-C is significantly attenuated in the airways of STAT4-/- mice, which may be due to the impaired secretion of TNF-α and IFN-γ in these mice.     

PRMT5-Mediated Methylation of NF-κB p65 at Arg174 Is Required for Endothelial CXCL11 Gene Induction in Response to TNF-α and IFN-γ Costimulation

Inflammatory agonists differentially activate gene expression of the chemokine family of proteins in endothelial cells (EC). TNF is a weak inducer of the chemokine CXCL11, while TNF and IFN-γ costimulation results in potent CXCL11 induction. The molecular mechanisms underlying TNF plus IFN-γ-mediated CXCL11 induction are not fully understood. We have previously reported that the protein arginine methyltransferase PRMT5 catalyzes symmetrical dimethylation of the NF-κB subunit p65 in EC at multiple arginine residues. Methylation of Arg³⁰ and Arg³⁵ on p65 is critical for TNF induction of CXCL10 in EC. Here we show that PRMT5-mediated methylation of p65 at Arg¹⁷⁴ is required for induction of CXCL11 when EC are costimulated with TNF and IFN-γ. Knockdown of PRMT5 by RNAi reduced CXCL11 mRNA and protein levels in costimulated cells. Reconstitution of p65 Arg¹⁷⁴Ala or Arg¹⁷⁴Lys mutants into EC that were depleted of endogenous p65 blunted TNF plus IFN-γ-mediated CXCL11 induction. Mass spectrometric analyses showed that p65 Arg¹⁷⁴ arginine methylation is enhanced by TNF plus IFN-γ costimulation, and is catalyzed by PRMT5. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays (ChIP) demonstrated that PRMT5 is necessary for p65 association with the CXCL11 promoter in response to TNF plus IFN-γ. Further, reconstitution of p65 Arg¹⁷⁴Lys mutant in EC abrogated this p65 association with the CXCL11 promoter. Finally, ChIP and Re-ChIP assays revealed that symmetrical dimethylarginine-containing proteins complexed with the CXCL11 promoter were diminished in p65 Arg¹⁷⁴Lys-reconstituted EC stimulated with TNF and IFN-γ. In total, these results indicate that PRMT5-mediated p65 methylation at Arg¹⁷⁴ is essential for TNF plus IFN-γ-mediated CXCL11 gene induction. We therefore suggest that the use of recently developed small molecule inhibitors of PRMT5 may present a therapeutic approach to moderating chronic inflammatory pathologies.     

Interferons Accelerate Decay of Replication-Competent Nucleocapsids of Hepatitis B Virus

Alpha interferon (IFN-α) is an approved medication for chronic hepatitis B. Gamma interferon (IFN-γ) is a key mediator of host antiviral immunity against hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in vivo. However, the molecular mechanism by which these antiviral cytokines suppress HBV replication remains elusive. Using an immortalized murine hepatocyte (AML12)-derived cell line supporting tetracycline-inducible HBV replication, we show in this report that both IFN-α and IFN-γ efficiently reduce the amount of intracellular HBV nucleocapsids. Furthermore, we provide evidence suggesting that the IFN-induced cellular antiviral response is able to distinguish and selectively accelerate the decay of HBV replication-competent nucleocapsids but not empty capsids in a proteasome-dependent manner. Our findings thus reveal a novel antiviral mechanism of IFNs and provide a basis for a better understanding of HBV pathobiology.Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a noncytopathic hepatotropic DNA virus which belongs to the family Hepadnaviridae (11, 44). Despite the fact that most adulthood HBV infections are transient, approximately 5 to 10% of infected adults and more than 90% of infected neonates fail to clear the virus and develop a lifelong persistent infection, which may progress to chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and primary hepatocellular carcinoma (4, 33, 34). It has been shown by several research groups that resolution of HBV and other animal hepadnavirus infection in vivo depends on both killing of infected hepatocytes by viral antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes and noncytolytic suppression of viral replication, which is most likely mediated by inflammatory cytokines, such as gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) (10, 12, 15, 20, 26, 27, 48). Moreover, together with five nucleoside or nucleotide analogs that inhibit HBV DNA polymerase, alpha IFN (IFN-α) and pegylated IFN-α are currently available antiviral medications for the management of chronic hepatitis B. Compared to the viral DNA polymerase inhibitors, the advantages of IFN-α therapy include a lack of drug resistance, a finite and defined treatment course, and an increased likelihood for hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance (8, 39). However, only approximately 30% of treated patients achieve a sustained virological response to a standard 48-month pegylated IFN-α therapy (6, 32). Thus far, the antiviral mechanism of IFN-α and IFN-γ and the parameters determining the success or failure of IFN-α therapy in chronic hepatitis B remain elusive. Elucidation of the mechanism by which the cytokines suppress HBV replication represents an important step toward understanding the pathobiology of HBV infection and the molecular basis of IFN-α therapy of chronic hepatitis B.Considering the mechanism by which IFNs noncytolytically control HBV infection in vivo, it is possible that the cytokines either induce an antiviral response in hepatocytes to directly limit HBV replication or modulate the host antiviral immune response to indirectly inhibit the virus infection. However, due to the fact that IFN-α and -γ do not inhibit or only modestly inhibit HBV replication in human hepatoma-derived cell lines (5, 22, 23, 30), the direct antiviral effects of the cytokines and their antiviral mechanism against HBV have been studied with either an immortalized hepatocyte cell line derived from HBV transgenic mice or duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) infection of primary duck hepatocytes (37, 53). While these studies revealed that IFN treatment significantly reduced the amount of encapsidated viral pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) in both mouse and duck hepatocytes, further mechanistic analyses suggested that IFN-α inhibited the formation of pgRNA-containing nucleocapsids in murine hepatocytes (52) but shortened the half-life of encapsidated pgRNA in DHBV-replicating chicken hepatoma cells (21). Moreover, the fate of viral DNA replication intermediates or nucleocapsids in the IFN-treated hepatocytes was not investigated in the previous studies.To further define the target(s) of IFN-α and -γ in the HBV life cycle and to create a robust cell culture system for the identification of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) that mediate the antiviral response of the cytokines (25), we established an immortalized murine hepatocyte (AML-12)-derived stable cell line that supported a high level of HBV replication in a tetracycline-inducible manner. Consistent with previous reports, we show that both IFN-α and IFN-γ potently inhibited HBV replication in murine hepatocytes (37, 40). With the help of small molecules that inhibit HBV capsid assembly (Bay-4109) (7, 47) and prevent the incorporation of pgRNA into nucleocapsids (AT-61) (9, 29), we obtained evidence suggesting that the IFN-induced cellular antiviral response is able to distinguish and selectively accelerate the decay of HBV replication-competent nucleocapsids but not empty capsids in a proteasome-dependent manner. Our findings provide a basis for further studies toward better understanding of IFN′s antiviral mechanism, which might ultimately lead to the development of strategies to improve the efficacy of IFN therapy of chronic hepatitis B.     

Infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Upregulates DNA Methyltransferase, Resulting in De Novo Methylation of the Gamma Interferon (IFN-γ) Promoter and Subsequent Downregulation of IFN-γ Production

The immune response to pathogens is regulated by a delicate balance of cytokines. The dysregulation of cytokine gene expression, including interleukin-12, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and gamma interferon (IFN-γ), following human retrovirus infection is well documented. One process by which such gene expression may be modulated is altered DNA methylation. In subsets of T-helper cells, the expression of IFN-γ, a cytokine important to the immune response to viral infection, is regulated in part by DNA methylation such that mRNA expression inversely correlates with the methylation status of the promoter. Of the many possible genes whose methylation status could be affected by viral infection, we examined the IFN-γ gene as a candidate. We show here that acute infection of cells with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) results in (i) increased DNA methyltransferase expression and activity, (ii) an overall increase in methylation of DNA in infected cells, and (iii) the de novo methylation of a CpG dinucleotide in the IFN-γ gene promoter, resulting in the subsequent downregulation of expression of this cytokine. The introduction of an antisense methyltransferase construct into lymphoid cells resulted in markedly decreased methyltransferase expression, hypomethylation throughout the IFN-γ gene, and increased IFN-γ production, demonstrating a direct link between methyltransferase and IFN-γ gene expression. The ability of increased DNA methyltransferase activity to downregulate the expression of genes like the IFN-γ gene may be one of the mechanisms for dysfunction of T cells in HIV-1-infected individuals.     

SH2 Modified STAT1 Induces HLA-I Expression and Improves IFN-γ Signaling in IFN-α Resistant HCV Replicon Cells

Background

We have developed multiple stable cell lines containing subgenomic HCV RNA that are resistant to treatment with interferon alpha (IFN-α. Characterization of these IFN-α resistant replicon cells showed defects in the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT1 and STAT2 proteins due to a defective Jak-STAT pathway.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In this study, we have developed an alternative strategy to overcome interferon resistance in a cell culture model by improving intracellular STAT1 signaling. An engineered STAT1-CC molecule with double cysteine substitutions in the Src-homology 2 (SH2) domains of STAT1 (at Ala-656 and Asn-658) efficiently phosphorylates and translocates to the nucleus of IFN-resistant cells in an IFN-γ dependent manner. Transfection of a plasmid clone containing STAT1-CC significantly activated the GAS promoter compared to wild type STAT1 and STAT3. The activity of the engineered STAT1-CC is dependent upon the phosphorylation of tyrosine residue 701, since the construct with a substituted phenylalanine residue at position 701 (STAT1-CC-Y701F) failed to activate GAS promoter in the replicon cells. Intracellular expression of STAT1-CC protein showed phosphorylation and nuclear translocation in the resistant cell line after IFN-γ treatment. Transient transfection of STAT1-CC plasmid clone into an interferon resistant cell line resulted in inhibition of viral replication and viral clearance in an IFN-γ dependent manner. Furthermore, the resistant replicon cells transfected with STAT1-CC constructs significantly up regulated surface HLA-1 expression when compared to the wild type and Y to F mutant controls.

Conclusions

These results suggest that modification of the SH2 domain of the STAT1 molecule allows for improved IFN-γ signaling through increased STAT1 phosphorylation, nuclear translocation, HLA-1 surface expression, and prolonged interferon antiviral gene activation.     

Effects of Alpha Interferon Treatment on Intrinsic Anti-HIV-1 Immunity In Vivo

Alpha interferon (IFN-α) suppresses human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication in vitro by inducing cell-intrinsic retroviral restriction mechanisms. We investigated the effects of IFN-α/ribavirin (IFN-α/riba) treatment on 34 anti-HIV-1 restriction factors in vivo. Expression of several anti-HIV-1 restriction factors was significantly induced by IFN-α/riba in HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV)-coinfected individuals. Fold induction of cumulative restriction factor expression in CD4⁺ T cells was significantly correlated with viral load reduction during IFN-α/riba treatment (r² = 0.649; P < 0.016). Exogenous IFN-α induces supraphysiologic restriction factor expression associated with a pronounced decrease in HIV-1 viremia.     

Regulation of CD47 expression by interferon-gamma in cancer cells

The anti-phagocytosis signal, CD47, prevents phagocytosis when it interacts with signal-regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα) on macrophages. Given the vital role of CD47 in immune response, further investigation on the regulation of CD47 in tumor microenvironment is needed. Herein, we identified that interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), one of the most important cytokines in the immune and inflammatory response, up-regulated CD47 expression in cancer cells and this effect could be inhibited by the JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib, as well as siRNA-mediated silencing of JAK1, STAT1, and IRF1. The IFN-γ-induced surface expression of CD47 contributed to a stronger binding affinity to SIRPα and a decrease in phagocytosis of cancer cells by macrophages. Knockdown of JAK1, STAT1, or IRF1 by siRNA reversed the decreased phagocytosis caused by IFN-γ. Besides, analysis from TCGA revealed that IFNG had a positive correlation with CD47 in various types of cancer, which was supported by the increased surface CD47 expression after IFN-γ treatment in different types of cancer cells. The discovery of IFN-γ-induced up-regulation of CD47 in cancer cells unveils another feedback inhibitory mechanism of IFN-γ, thus providing insights into cancer immunotherapy targeting CD47.