STAT6-independent production of IL-4 by mast cells

✍ Scribed by Melanie A. Sherman; Virginia H. Secor; Susan K. Lee; Richard D. Lopez; Melissa A. Brown

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 134 KB
• Volume: 29
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0014-2980
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1521-4141(199904)29:04<1235::aid-immu1235>3.0.co;2-0

✦ Synopsis

The acquisition of an IL-4-producing phenotype in Th2 cells requires IL-4 signaling through the STAT6 pathway during T cell differentiation. In this study we demonstrate that, unlike in naive T cells, IL-4 is not necessary for the development of an IL-4-producing phenotype in mast cells. Bone marrow-derived mast cell precursors from STAT6 -/-mice can differentiate into mature cells that express IL-4 levels comparable to those of wild-type mast cells. In differentiated mast cells, activation in the presence of neutralizing anti-IL-4 antibodies or mutation of the consensus STAT6 sites does not diminish IL-4 promoter activity, indicating that IL-4 is not required for active transcription. Taken together, these data suggest that mast cell IL-4 production is not STAT6 dependent, providing evidence that these cells could generate IL-4 needed for the initiation and amplification of an effective Th2 immune response.