Sequential activation of inflammatory signaling pathways during graft-versus-host disease (GVHD): early role for STAT1 and STAT3

The aim of this study was to delineate the temporal and spatial sequence of STAT1 and STAT3 activation during development of GVHD following fully Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC)-mismatched allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT). Activation of inflammatory signaling pathways in GVHD target organs was assessed by western blotting, phospho-flow cytometry and electromobility shift assays (EMSA). Development of GVHD was associated with significant expansion of phospho[p]-STAT1 and p-STAT3 expressing CD4⁺ T cells and CD8⁺ T cells. GVHD-specific STAT3/STAT1 activation preceded activation of Nuclear Factor-κB (NF-κB) and Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) and was associated with subsequent induction of STAT1 or STAT3-dependent inflammatory gene-expression programs (e.g. expression of IRF-1, SOCS1, IL-17). Our studies may help to establish a functional hierarchy of the signaling events leading to the development of GVHD and could be helpful in designing new molecularly targeted treatment approaches for GVHD.     

STAT3 regulates antiviral immunity by suppressing excessive interferon signaling

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Role of ERp57 in the signaling and transcriptional activity of STAT3 in a melanoma cell line

Chromatin immunoprecipitation in M14 melanoma cells showed that the protein ERp57 (endoplasmic reticulum protein 57) binds to DNA in the proximity of STAT3 in a subset of STAT3-regulated genes. In the same cells, IL-6 induced a significant increase of the expression of one of these genes, i.e. CRP. Upon depletion of ERp57 by RNA interference, the phosphorylation of STAT3 on tyrosine 705 was decreased, and the IL-6-induced activation of CRP expression was completely suppressed. In vitro experiments showed that ERp57 is also required for the binding of STAT3 to its consensus sequence on DNA. Thus ERp57, previously shown to associate with STAT3 in the cytosol and in the nuclear STAT3-containing enhanceosome, is a necessary cofactor for the regulation of at least a subset of STAT3-dependent genes, probably intervening both at the site of STAT3 phosphorylation and at the nuclear level.     

IL-6/STAT3报告基因系统的构建及抑制IL-6/STAT3信号通路的中药单体的筛选及验证

寻找可抑制IL-6/STAT3信号通路的活化从而抑制肿瘤的生长和恶化的中药单体化合物具有重要意义及发展前景。文中通过基因重组技术构建出一种含有STAT3增强子序列和NanoLuc(NLuc)报告基因序列的新表达载体,并进一步建立受STAT3调控并稳定表达NLuc荧光素酶的细胞系,利用该细胞系定量检测多种中药单体化合物对IL-6/STAT3信号通路的调控作用,并对抑制IL-6/STAT3信号通路的中药单体的效果进行验证。酶切鉴定及测序结果表明报告基因表达载体pQCXIP-STAT3-NLuc构建成功。STAT3转录因子的刺激物白细胞介素-6(IL-6)作用于所构建的稳定表达NLuc的细胞系后出现特异性荧光素酶反应,且作用效果呈良好的剂量依赖性,表明受STAT3调控稳定表达NLuc荧光素酶的细胞系构建成功。Western blotting及Real-time PCR实验结果表明所筛选的中药单体化合物石斛碱及粉防己碱可抑制IL-6/STAT3信号通路并显著下调其下游基因Bcl-2及Bcl-x的表达,且作用呈剂量依赖性。综上所述,文中构建了可高效检测STAT3转录活性的报告基因系统,并利用该系统成功地筛选出可抑制IL-6/STAT3信号通路的中药单体化合物,具有一定的理论和应用价值。     

Interferon alpha induces cell death through interference with interleukin 6 signaling and inhibition of STAT3 activity

In multiple myeloma, which commonly depends on interleukin 6, IL-6, survival signaling induced by this cytokine is largely mediated by activation of STAT3. Interferon alpha (IFNalpha) treatment of cell lines derived from multiple myeloma or of myeloma tumor cells ex vivo leads to apoptosis. In this study we demonstrate that IFNalpha treatment of the two myeloma cell lines, U266-1984 and U-1958, results in the decrease of STAT3 activity as demonstrated by a diminished STAT3/3 DNA-binding activity and the shift from STAT3/3 towards STAT1/1 and STAT3/1 complexes in EMSA, leading to the down-regulation of known STAT3 target genes such as Bcl-X(L), Mcl-1 and survivin. Ectopic expression of a form of STAT3, STAT3C, rescued U266-1984 cells from IFNalpha-induced apoptosis. IFNalpha promoted sustained accumulation of tyrosine phosphorylated STAT3C in the nucleus and a prolonged DNA binding of the STAT3/3 homodimers in EMSA. The shift towards a sustained STAT3 response in IFNalpha-treated STAT3C-transfected cells led to a hyper-induction of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 proteins. Thus our data demonstrated that IFNalpha is able to interfere with IL-6 signaling by inhibiting STAT3 activity and that the abrogation of STAT3 activity accounts for the ability of IFNalpha to induce apoptosis in myeloma cells.     

STAT3基因沉默降低小鼠乳腺癌细胞的体外迁移能力

信号转导子与转录活化子3(STAT3)是一个具有信号转导和转录调控双重功能的转录因子,有文献报道STAT3在乳腺癌中的表达显著升高,并能促进乳腺癌的转移。为了深入探索STAT3在肿瘤发生发展中的作用和影响乳腺癌转移的分子机制,采用RNA干扰技术在小鼠乳腺癌细胞株4T1中沉默STAT3的表达。MTT实验结果显示STAT3沉默对4T1细胞的增殖能力没有影响;细胞迁移实验结果表明STAT3表达被沉默后4T1细胞的迁移能力明显被抑制;定量PCR结果显示,STAT3基因沉默后4T1细胞中VEGF和IL-6的mRNA水平下降,E-cadherin表达上升,mosin表达下降;信号通路检测显示STAT3基因表达沉默后MAPK的活化明显降低。研究表明STAT3在小鼠乳腺癌细胞的迁移过程中发挥重要作用,为以STAT3基因为靶向的治疗提供了一定的实验依据。     

TRIM72 contributes to cardiac fibrosis via regulating STAT3/Notch-1 signaling

Cardiac fibrosis is a pathophysiological process characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix. We developed a cardiac hypertrophy model using transverse aortic constriction (TAC) to uncover mechanisms relevant to excessive deposition of extracellular matrix in mouse myocardial cells. TAC caused upregulation of Tripartite motif protein 72 (TRIM72), a tripartite motif-containing protein that is critical for proliferation and migration. Importantly, in vivo silencing of TRIM72 reversed TAC-induced cardiac fibrosis, as indicated by markedly increased left ventricular systolic pressure and decreased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. TRIM72 knockdown also attenuated deposition of fibrosis marker collagen type I and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). In an in vitro study, TRIM72 was similarly upregulated in cardiac fibroblasts. Knockdown of TRIM72 markedly suppressed collagen type I and α-SMA expression and significantly decreased the proliferation and migration of cardiac fibroblasts. However, TRIM72 overexpression markedly increased collagen type I and α-SMA expression and increased the proliferation and migration of cardiac fibroblasts. Further study demonstrated that TRIM72 increased phosphorylated STAT3 in cardiac fibroblasts. TRIM72 knockdown in cardiac fibroblasts resulted in increased expression of Notch ligand Jagged-1 and its downstream gene and Notch-1 intracellular domain. Inhibition of Notch-1 abrogated sh-TRIM72-induced cardiac fibrosis. Together, our results support a novel role for TRIM72 in maintaining fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition and suppressing fibroblast growth by regulating the STAT3/Notch-1 pathway.     

Development of a STAT3 reporter prostate cancer cell line for high throughput screening of STAT3 activators and inhibitors

STAT3 is constitutively activated in several cancers, including prostate cancer, and is therefore, a potential target for cancer therapy. DU-145 prostate cancer cells were stably co-transfected with STAT3 reporter and puromycin resistant plasmids to create a stable STAT3 reporter cell line that can be used for high throughput screening of STAT3 modulators. The applicability of this cell line was tested with two known activators and inhibitors of STAT3. As expected, EGF and IL-6 increased STAT3 reporter activity and enhanced the nuclear localization of phosphorylated STAT3 (pSTAT3); whereas Cucurbitacin I and AG490 decreased STAT3 reporter activity dose and time-dependently and reduced the localization of pSTAT3 in the nuclei of prostate cancer cells. Given the importance of STAT3 in cancer initiation and progression, the development of a stable STAT3 reporter cell line in prostate cancer cells provides a rapid, sensitive, and cost effective method for the screening of potential STAT3 modulators.     

4-Carbonyl-2,6-dibenzylidenecyclohexanone derivatives as small molecule inhibitors of STAT3 signaling pathway

Inhibition of STAT3 signaling pathway is proposed to be a promising strategy for cancer treatment. In this study, a series of 4-carbonyl-2,6-dibenzylidenecyclohexanone derivatives were prepared and evaluated as anticancer agents. The most potent compound 13r was discovered to exhibit antiproliferative activity against a broad rang of cancer cell lines and relatively low cytotoxicity against normal human cells. Besides, 13r effectively suppressed STAT3 expression as well as phosphorylation, and surface plasmon resonance analysis confirmed the direct interaction of 13r with STAT3. Docking simulation showed that 13r could inhibit STAT3 by targeting SH2 domain. This study provided evidence for these compounds to be further developed as antitumor agents through inhibition of the STAT3 pathway.     

Angoline: A selective IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway inhibitor isolated from Zanthoxylum nitidum

STAT3 signaling pathway is an important target for human cancer therapy. Thus, the identification of small-molecules that target STAT3 signaling will be of great interests in the development of anticancer agents. The aim of this study was to identify novel inhibitors of STAT3 pathway from the roots of Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC. The bioassay-guided fractionation of MeOH extract of Z. nitidum using a STAT3-responsive gene reporter assay led to the isolation of angoline (1) as a potent and selective inhibitor of the STAT3 signaling pathway (IC₅₀ = 11.56 μM). Angoline inhibited STAT3 phosphorylation and its target gene expression and consequently induced growth inhibition of human cancer cells with constitutively activated STAT3 (IC₅₀ = 3.14–4.72 μM). This work provided a novel lead for the development of anti-cancer agents targeting the STAT3 signaling pathway.     

bFGF and LIF signaling activates STAT3 in proliferating myoblasts

Different mitogens elicit similar effects on growth and differentiation of skeletal muscle, suggesting that potential overlap exists in the signaling cascades activated by such factors. To investigate this possibility, we examined the status of STAT and ERK proteins in C2C12 myoblasts and myotubes following stimulation with bFGF or LIF. Both STAT1 and STAT3 as well as ERK1 and ERK2 proteins were detectable in extracts of myoblasts. LIF stimulation of myoblasts lead to rapid phosphorylation on tyrosine of STAT3 and of ERKs 1 and 2. Similarly, bFGF stimulation of myoblasts resulted in the tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT3. However, unlike LIF, the bFGF induced tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT3 appeared cyclical, with recurrent peaks of phosphorylation even after prolonged exposure. By contrast, STAT1 remained unphosphorylated in myoblasts treated with bFGF or LIF. In differentiated myotubes, LIF treatment resulted in the tyrosine phosphorylation of both STAT3 and STAT1, but ERK phosphorylation was not detectable, and bFGF treatment did not lead to STAT1 or STAT3 tyrosine phosphorylation. Therefore these observations suggest that disparate mitogens can activate similar downstream effectors in proliferating myoblasts. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.