IFNalpha/beta promotes cell survival by activating NF-kappa B.

IFNs play critical roles in host defense by modulating the expression of various genes via signal transducer and activator of transcription factors. We show that IFNalpha/beta activates another important transcription factor, NF-kappaB. DNA-binding activity of NF-kappaB was induced by multiple type 1 IFNs and was promoted by IFN in a diverse group of human, monkey, rat, and murine cells. Human IFN promoted NF-kappaB activation in murine cells that express the human IFNalpha/beta receptor-1 signal-transducing chain of the type 1 IFN receptor. IFN promotes inhibitor of kappa B alpha (IkappaBalpha) serine phosphorylation and degradation, and stimulates NF-kappaB DNA-binding and transcriptional activity. Importantly, IFN promotes cell survival by protecting cells against a variety of proapoptotic stimuli, such as virus infection and antibody-mediated crosslinking. Expression of superrepressor forms of IkappaBalpha, besides inhibiting IFN-mediated NF-kappaB activation and IkappaBalpha degradation, also enhanced apoptotic cell death in IFN-treated cells. We conclude that NF-kappaB activation by IFNalpha/beta is integrated into a signaling pathway through the IFNalpha/beta receptor-1 chain of the type 1 IFN receptor that promotes cell survival in apposition to various apoptotic stimuli.

Development of calretinin immunoreactivity in the brainstem auditory nuclei of the barn owl (Tyto alba).

The early development of calretinin immunoreactivity (CR-IR) was described in the auditory nuclei of the brainstem of the barn owl. CR-IR was first observed in the auditory hindbrain at embryonic day (E17) and a day later (E18) in the inferior colliculus. In each of the auditory nuclei studied, CR-IR did not develop homogeneously, but began in the regions that map high best frequencies in the adult barn owl. In the hindbrain, CR-IR was first observed in the rostromedial regions of the cochlear nucleus magnocellularis and the nucleus laminaris, and in the dorsal regions of the nucleus angularis and in the nucleus of the lateral lemniscus. In the inferior colliculus, CR-IR began in the ventral region of the central core. The edge of these gradients moved along the future tonotopic axes during the development of all nuclei studied, until adult patterns of CR-IR were achieved about a week after hatching.

The antiviral action of interferon is potentiated by removal of the conserved IRTAM domain of the IFNAR1 chain of the interferon alpha/beta receptor: effects on JAK-STAT activation and receptor down-regulation.

The first cloned chain (IFNAR1) of the human interferon-alpha (IFN alpha) receptor acts as a species-specific transducer for type 1 IFN action when transfected into heterologous mouse cells. Stably transfected mouse L929 cell lines expressing truncation mutants of the intracellular domain of the human IFNAR1 chain were tested for biological responses to human IFN alpha. Deletion of the intracellular domain resulted in a complete loss of sensitivity to the biological activity of human IFN but markedly increased IFNAR1 cell surface expression, demonstrating that the intracellular domain is required for biological function and contains a domain that negatively regulates its cell surface expression. Removal of the conserved membrane distal 16-amino-acid IRTAM (Interferon Receptor Tyrosine Activation Motif) sequence: (1) increased sensitivity to IFN alpha's antiviral activity, (2) increased the rapid IFN alpha-dependent formation of STAT-containing DNA-binding complexes, (3) prolonged tyrosine phosphorylation kinetics of the JAK-STAT pathway, and (4) blocked the IFN-dependent down-regulation of the IFNAR1 chain. These results indicate that the IRTAM negatively regulates signalling events required for the induction of IFN's biological actions via regulating receptor down-regulation.

The short form of the interferon alpha/beta receptor chain 2 acts as a dominant negative for type I interferon action.

We have characterized the functional properties of the short form of the human interferon alpha/beta receptor chain 2 (IFNAR2), denoted IFNAR2.1. IFNAR2.1 contains a shortened cytoplasmic domain when compared with the recently cloned full-length IFNAR2 chain (IFNAR2. 2). We show that IFNalpha8 and IFNbeta1b induce antiviral and antiproliferative activity in mouse cell transfectants expressing the human IFNAR1 chain of the receptor and induce the formation of STAT1/STAT2 dimers in IFN-stimulated response element (ISRE)-dependent gel shift assays. In contrast, coexpression of IFNAR2.1 with IFNAR1 reduces the IFN-induced antiviral, antiproliferative and ISRE-dependent gel shift binding activity conferred by IFNAR1 alone. No antiviral or antiproliferative response to IFN, nor IFN-induced ISRE-dependent gel shift binding activity, was observed when IFNAR2.1 was expressed alone in murine cells. Therefore, IFNAR2.1 acts as a dominant negative for these IFN-induced activities. Our results suggest that IFNAR2.1 represents a nonfunctional version of the full-length chain (IFNAR2.2).

Direct association of STAT3 with the IFNAR-1 chain of the human type I interferon receptor.

Based on the reports of the activation of the transcription factor known as STAT3 (for signal transducers and activators of transcription) or APRF (for acute phase response factor) by various cytokines, we investigated the possible role of STAT3 in type I interferon (IFN) receptor signaling. We show that STAT3 undergoes IFNalpha-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation and IFNalpha treatment induces protein-DNA complexes that contain STAT3. In addition, STAT3 associates with the IFNAR-1 chain of the type I receptor in a tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent manner upon IFNalpha addition. The binding of STAT3 to the IFNAR-1 chain occurs through a direct interaction between the SH2 domain-containing portion of STAT3 and the tyrosine-phosphorylated IFNAR-1 chain. Furthermore, tyrosine-phosphorylated STAT3 bound to the IFNAR-1 chain also undergoes a secondary modification involving serine phosphorylation. This phosphorylation event is apparently mediated by protein kinase C, since it was blocked by low concentrations of the protein kinase inhibitor H-7. The biological relevance of IFN activation of STAT3 is further illustrated by the finding that STAT3 is not activated by IFN in a cell line resistant to the antiviral and antiproliferative actions of IFN alpha but in which other components of the JAK-STAT pathway are activated by IFNalpha.

Expression and signaling specificity of the IFNAR chain of the type I interferon receptor complex.

The IFNAR chain of the type I interferon (IFN) receptor (IFNIR) undergoes rapid ligand-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation and acts as a species-specific transducer for type I IFN action. Using the vaccinia/T7 expression system to amplify IFNAR expression, we found that human HeLa-S3 cells transiently express high levels of cell surface IFNAR chains (approximately 250,000 chains per cell). Metabolic labeling and immunoblot analysis of transfected HeLa cells show that the IFNAR chain is initially detected as 65-kDa and 98-kDa precursors, and then as the 130-kDa mature protein. Due to variation in N-glycosylation, the apparent molecular mass of the mature IFNAR chain varies from 105 to 135 kDa in different cells. IFNIR structure was characterized in various human cell lines by analyzing 125I-labeled IFN cross-linked complexes recognized by various antibodies against IFNIR subunits and JAK protein-tyrosine kinases. Precipitation of cross-linked material from Daudi cells with anti-IFNAR antibodies showed that IFNAR was present in a 240-kDa complex. Precipitation of cross-linked material from U937 cells with anti-TYK2 sera revealed a 240-kDa complex, which apparently did not contain IFNAR and was not present in IFN-resistant HEC1B cells. The tyrosine phosphorylation and down-regulation of the IFNAR chain were induced by type I IFN in several human cell lines of diverse origins but not in HEC1B cells. However, of type I IFNs, IFN-beta uniquely induced the tyrosine phosphorylation of a 105-kDa protein associated with the IFNAR chain in two lymphoblastoid cell lines (Daudi and U266), demonstrating the specificity of transmembrane signaling for IFN-beta and IFN-alpha through the IFNAR chain.

Role of interferon alpha/beta receptor chain 1 in the structure and transmembrane signaling of the interferon alpha/beta receptor complex.

A previously cloned cDNA encodes one subunit of the human interferon alpha/beta receptor (IFN alpha R), denoted IFN alpha R1. To study the expression and signaling of IFN alpha R1, we used monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) generated against the baculovirus-expressed ectodomain of IFN alpha R1. Immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting of lysates from a variety of human cell lines showed that IFN alpha R1 has an apparent molecular mass of 135 kDa. Binding analysis with 125I-labeled mAb demonstrated high levels of cell surface expression of IFN alpha R1 in human cells and in mouse cells transfected with IFN alpha R1 cDNA, whereas no cross-reactivity was observed in control mouse L929 cells expressing only the endogenous mouse receptor. The subunit was rapidly down-regulated by IFN alpha (80% decrease within 2 hr) and degraded upon internalization. The IFN alpha R1 chain appeared to be constitutively associated with the 115-kDa subunit of the IFN alpha/beta receptor, since the mAbs coprecipitated this protein. IFN alpha/beta treatment induced tyrosine phosphorylation of IFN alpha R1 within 1 min, with kinetics paralleling that of the IFN-activated protein-tyrosine kinases Jak1 and Tyk2. Ligand-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of IFN alpha R1 was blocked by the kinase inhibitors genistein or staurosporine. Although IFN alpha R1 cDNA-transfected mouse cells expressed high levels of this subunit when compared with empty vector-transfected cells the number of binding sites for human IFN alpha (50-75 sites per cell) was not increased. Human IFN alpha induced the expression of a mouse IFN alpha/beta-responsive gene (the 204 gene) in mouse L929 cells transfected with the IFN alpha R1 cDNA, but not in mock-transfected cells. These results suggest that the IFN alpha R1 subunit acts as a species-specific signal transduction component of the IFN alpha/beta receptor complex.