Alternatively activated macrophages engage in homotypic and heterotypic interactions through IL-4 and polyamine-induced E-cadherin/catenin complexes

Blood. 2009 Nov 19;114(21):4664-74. doi: 10.1182/blood-2009-05-221598. Epub 2009 Sep 2.

Abstract

Alternatively activated macrophages (AAMs), triggered by interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-13, play a modulating role during Th2 cytokine-driven pathologies, but their molecular armament remains poorly characterized. Here, we established E-cadherin (Cdh1) as a selective marker for IL-4/IL-13-exposed mouse and human macrophages, which is STAT6-dependently induced during polarized Th2 responses associated with Taenia crassiceps helminth infections or allergic airway inflammation. The IL-4-dependent, arginase-1/ornithine decarboxylase-mediated production of polyamines is important for maximal Cdh1 induction, unveiling a novel mechanism for IL-4-dependent gene transcription. At the macrophage surface, E-cadherin forms a functional complex with the catenins that accumulates at sites of cell contact. Macrophage-specific deletion of the Cdh1 gene illustrates the implication of E-cadherin in IL-4-driven macrophage fusion and heterotypic interactions with CD103(+) and KLRG1(+) T cells. This study identifies the E-cadherin/catenin complex as a discriminative, partly polyamine-regulated feature of IL-4/IL-13-exposed alternatively activated macrophages that contributes to homotypic and heterotypic cellular interactions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Asthma / immunology
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cadherins / immunology*
  • Cadherins / metabolism
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Humans
  • Hypersensitivity / immunology
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • Interleukin-13 / immunology
  • Interleukin-13 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-4 / immunology*
  • Interleukin-4 / metabolism
  • Macrophage Activation / immunology
  • Macrophages / immunology*
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Polyamines / immunology*
  • Signal Transduction / immunology*
  • Taeniasis / immunology
  • alpha Catenin / immunology*
  • alpha Catenin / metabolism

Substances

  • Cadherins
  • Interleukin-13
  • Polyamines
  • alpha Catenin
  • Interleukin-4