STAT2 is a pervasive cytokine regulator due to its inhibition of STAT1 in multiple signaling pathways

STAT2 is the quintessential transcription factor for type 1 interferons (IFNs), where it functions as a heterodimer with STAT1. However, the human and murine STAT2-deficient phenotypes suggest important additional and currently unidentified type 1 IFN-independent activities. Here we show that STAT2...

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Main Authors: Ho, Johnathan, Pelzel, Christin, Begitt, Andreas, Mee, Maureen, Elsheikha, Hany M., Scott, David J., Vinkemeier, Uwe
Format: Article
Published: Public Library of Science 2016
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/37530/
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author Ho, Johnathan
Pelzel, Christin
Begitt, Andreas
Mee, Maureen
Elsheikha, Hany M.
Scott, David J.
Vinkemeier, Uwe
author_facet Ho, Johnathan
Pelzel, Christin
Begitt, Andreas
Mee, Maureen
Elsheikha, Hany M.
Scott, David J.
Vinkemeier, Uwe
author_sort Ho, Johnathan
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description STAT2 is the quintessential transcription factor for type 1 interferons (IFNs), where it functions as a heterodimer with STAT1. However, the human and murine STAT2-deficient phenotypes suggest important additional and currently unidentified type 1 IFN-independent activities. Here we show that STAT2 constitutively bound to STAT1, but not STAT3, via a conserved interface. While this interaction was irrelevant for type 1 interferon signaling and STAT1 activation, it precluded the nuclear translocation specifically of STAT1 in response to IFN-γ, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-27. This is explained by the dimerization between activated STAT1 and unphosphorylated STAT2, whereby the semiphosphorylated dimers adopted a conformation incapable of importin-α binding. This, in turn, substantially attenuated cardinal IFN-γ responses including MHC expression, senescence, and antiparasitic immunity, and shifted the transcriptional output of IL-27 from STAT1 to STAT3. Our results uncover STAT2 as a pervasive cytokine regulator due to its inhibition of STAT1 in multiple signaling pathways and provide an understanding of the type 1 interferon independent activities of this protein.
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spelling nottingham-375302020-05-04T18:15:35Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/37530/ STAT2 is a pervasive cytokine regulator due to its inhibition of STAT1 in multiple signaling pathways Ho, Johnathan Pelzel, Christin Begitt, Andreas Mee, Maureen Elsheikha, Hany M. Scott, David J. Vinkemeier, Uwe STAT2 is the quintessential transcription factor for type 1 interferons (IFNs), where it functions as a heterodimer with STAT1. However, the human and murine STAT2-deficient phenotypes suggest important additional and currently unidentified type 1 IFN-independent activities. Here we show that STAT2 constitutively bound to STAT1, but not STAT3, via a conserved interface. While this interaction was irrelevant for type 1 interferon signaling and STAT1 activation, it precluded the nuclear translocation specifically of STAT1 in response to IFN-γ, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-27. This is explained by the dimerization between activated STAT1 and unphosphorylated STAT2, whereby the semiphosphorylated dimers adopted a conformation incapable of importin-α binding. This, in turn, substantially attenuated cardinal IFN-γ responses including MHC expression, senescence, and antiparasitic immunity, and shifted the transcriptional output of IL-27 from STAT1 to STAT3. Our results uncover STAT2 as a pervasive cytokine regulator due to its inhibition of STAT1 in multiple signaling pathways and provide an understanding of the type 1 interferon independent activities of this protein. Public Library of Science 2016-10-25 Article PeerReviewed Ho, Johnathan, Pelzel, Christin, Begitt, Andreas, Mee, Maureen, Elsheikha, Hany M., Scott, David J. and Vinkemeier, Uwe (2016) STAT2 is a pervasive cytokine regulator due to its inhibition of STAT1 in multiple signaling pathways. PLoS Biology, 14 (10). e2000117/1-e2000117/27. ISSN 1545-7885 http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.2000117 doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.2000117 doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.2000117
spellingShingle Ho, Johnathan
Pelzel, Christin
Begitt, Andreas
Mee, Maureen
Elsheikha, Hany M.
Scott, David J.
Vinkemeier, Uwe
STAT2 is a pervasive cytokine regulator due to its inhibition of STAT1 in multiple signaling pathways
title STAT2 is a pervasive cytokine regulator due to its inhibition of STAT1 in multiple signaling pathways
title_full STAT2 is a pervasive cytokine regulator due to its inhibition of STAT1 in multiple signaling pathways
title_fullStr STAT2 is a pervasive cytokine regulator due to its inhibition of STAT1 in multiple signaling pathways
title_full_unstemmed STAT2 is a pervasive cytokine regulator due to its inhibition of STAT1 in multiple signaling pathways
title_short STAT2 is a pervasive cytokine regulator due to its inhibition of STAT1 in multiple signaling pathways
title_sort stat2 is a pervasive cytokine regulator due to its inhibition of stat1 in multiple signaling pathways
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/37530/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/37530/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/37530/