Signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 augments the transcriptional activity of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha in granulocyte colony-stimulating factor signaling pathway

J Biol Chem. 2005 Apr 1;280(13):12621-9. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M408442200. Epub 2005 Jan 21.

Abstract

The Janus kinase (Jak)-Stat pathway plays an essential role in cytokine signaling. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) promotes granulopoiesis and granulocytic differentiation, and Stat3 is the principle Stat protein activated by G-CSF. Upon treatment with G-CSF, the interleukin-3-dependent cell line 32D clone 3(32Dcl3) differentiates into neutrophils, and 32Dcl3 cells expressing dominant-negative Stat3 (32Dcl3/DNStat3) proliferate in G-CSF without differentiation. Gene expression profile and quantitative PCR analysis of G-CSF-stimulated cell lines revealed that the expression of C/EBPalpha was up-regulated by the activation of Stat3. In addition, activated Stat3 bound to CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP)alpha, leading to the enhancement of the transcription activity of C/EBPalpha. Conditional expression of C/EBPalpha in 32Dcl3/DNStat3 cells after G-CSF stimulation abolishes the G-CSF-dependent cell proliferation and induces granulocytic differentiation. Although granulocyte-specific genes, such as the G-CSF receptor, lysozyme M, and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin precursor (NGAL) are regulated by Stat3, only NGAL was induced by the restoration of C/EBPalpha after stimulation with G-CSF in 32Dcl3/DNStat3 cells. These results show that one of the major roles of Stat3 in the G-CSF signaling pathway is to augment the function of C/EBPalpha, which is essential for myeloid differentiation. Additionally, cooperation of C/EBPalpha with other Stat3-activated proteins are required for the induction of some G-CSF responsive genes including lysozyme M and the G-CSF receptor.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute-Phase Proteins / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western
  • CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha / metabolism*
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / physiology*
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Genes, Dominant
  • Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / metabolism*
  • Granulocytes / cytology
  • Granulocytes / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • Interferon-alpha / metabolism
  • Interleukin-3 / metabolism
  • Lipocalin-2
  • Lipocalins
  • Mice
  • Muramidase / chemistry
  • Muramidase / metabolism
  • Myeloid Cells / metabolism*
  • Neutrophils / metabolism
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Oncogene Proteins / metabolism
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Time Factors
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism*
  • Trans-Activators / physiology*
  • Transcription, Genetic*

Substances

  • Acute-Phase Proteins
  • CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha
  • Cytokines
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Interferon-alpha
  • Interleukin-3
  • LCN2 protein, human
  • Lipocalin-2
  • Lipocalins
  • Oncogene Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor
  • STAT3 protein, human
  • Stat3 protein, mouse
  • Trans-Activators
  • Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor
  • Muramidase