Activated STAT4 Has an Essential Role in Th1 Differentiation and Proliferation That Is Independent of Its Role in the Maintenance of IL-12Rβ2 Chain Expression and Signaling

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Abstract
In this study we demonstrated that CD4+ T cells from STAT4−/− mice exhibit reduced IL-12R expression and poor IL-12R signaling function. This raised the question of whether activated STAT4 participates in Th1 cell development mainly through its effects on IL-12 signaling. In a first approach to this question we determined the capacity of CD4+ T cells from STAT4−/− bearing an IL-12Rβ2 chain transgene (and thus capable of normal IL-12R expression and signaling) to undergo Th1 differentiation when stimulated by Con A and APCs. We found that such cells were still unable to exhibit IL-12-mediated IFN-γ production. In a second approach to this question, we created Th2 cell lines (D10 cells) transfected with STAT4-expressing plasmids with various tyrosine→phenylalanine mutations and CD4+ T cell lines from IL-12β2−/− mice infected with retroviruses expressing similarly STAT4 mutations that nevertheless express surface IL-12Rβ2 chains. We then showed that constructs that were unable to support STAT4 tyrosine phosphorylation (in D10 cells) as a result of mutation were also incapable of supporting IL-12-induced IFN-γ production (in IL-12Rβ2−/− cells). Thus, by two complementary approaches we demonstrated that activated STAT4 has an essential downstream role in Th1 cell differentiation that is independent of its role in the support of IL-12Rβ2 chain signaling. This implies that STAT4 is an essential element in the early events of Th1 differentiation.