No abstract

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) is the major mediator of interleukin-6 (IL-6) family cytokines. In addition, Stat3 is known to be involved in the pathophysiology of many malignancies. Here, we show that the cis-trans peptidyl-prolyl isomerase cyclophilin (Cyp) B specifically interacts with Stat3, whereas the highly related CypA does not. CypB knockdown inhibited the IL-6-induced transactivation potential but not the tyrosine phosphorylation of Stat3. Binding of CypB to Stat3 target promoters and alteration of the intranuclear localization of Stat3 on CypB depletion suggested a nuclear function of Stat3/CypB interaction. By contrast, CypA knockdown inhibited Stat3 IL-6-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. The Cyp inhibitor cyclosporine A (CsA) caused similar effects. However, Stat1 activation in response to IL-6 or interferon-c was not affected by Cyp silencing or CsA treatment. As a result, Cyp knockdown shifted IL-6 signaling to a Stat1-dominated pathway. Furthermore, Cyp depletion or treatment with CsA induced apoptosis in IL-6-dependent multiple myeloma cells, whereas an IL-6-independent line was not affected. Thus, Cyps support the anti-apoptotic action of Stat3. Taken together, CypA and CypB both play pivotal roles, yet at different signaling levels, for Stat3 activation and function. These data also suggest a novel mechanism of CsA action.

BCL3 is a proto-oncogene affected by chromosomal translocations in some patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. It is an IjB family protein that is involved in transcriptional regulation of a number of NF-jB target genes. In this study, interleukin (IL)-6-induced BCL3 expression and its effect on survival of multiple myeloma (MM) cells were examined. We demonstrate the upregulation of BCL3 by IL-6 in INA-6 and other MM cell lines. Sequence analysis of the BCL3 gene locus revealed four potential signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat) binding sites within two conserved intronic enhancers regions: one located within enhancer HS3 and three within HS4. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments showed increased Stat3 binding to both enhancers upon IL-6 stimulation. Silencing Stat3 expression by small interfering RNA (siRNA) abrogated BCL3 expression by IL-6. Using reporter gene assays, we demonstrate that BCL3 transcription depends on HS4. Mutation of the Stat motifs within HS4 abolished IL-6-dependent BCL3 induction. Furthermore, BCL3 transcription was inhibited by its own gene product. This repressive feedback is mediated by NF-jB sites within the promoter and HS3. Finally, we show that overexpression of BCL3 increases apoptosis, whereas BCL3-specific siRNA does not affect the viability of INA-6 cells suggesting that BCL3 is not essential for the survival of these cells.

SRC (steroid receptor co-activator)-1 has been reported to interact with and to be an essential co-activator for several members of the STAT (signal transducer and activator of transcription) family, including STAT3, the major signal transducer of IL (interleukin)-6. We addressed the question of whether SRC-1 is crucial for IL-6- and STAT3-mediated physiological responses such as myeloma cell survival and acute-phase protein induction. In fact, silencing of SRC-1 by RNA interference rapidly induced apoptosis in IL-6-dependent INA-6 human myeloma cells, comparable with what was observed upon silencing of STAT3. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation at STAT3 target regions of various genes, however, we observed constitutive binding of SRC-1 that decreased when INA-6 cells were treated with IL-6. The same held true for STAT3 target genes analysed in HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. SRC-1-knockdown studies demonstrated that STAT3-controlled promoters require neither SRC-1 nor the other p160 family members SRC-2 or SRC-3 in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, microarray expression profiling demonstrated that the responsiveness of IL-6 target genes is not affected by SRC-1 silencing. In contrast, co-activators of the CBP [CREB (cAMP-response element-binding protein)-binding protein]/p300 family proved functionally important for the transactivation potential of STAT3 and bound inducibly to STAT3 target regions. This recruitment did not depend on the presence of SRC-1. Altogether, this suggests that functional impairment of STAT3 is not involved in the induction of myeloma cell apoptosis by SRC-1 silencing. We therefore conclude that STAT3 transactivates its target genes by the recruitment of CBP/p300 co-activators and that this process generally does not require the contribution of SRC-1.