The Ebolavirus VP24 protein counteracts alpha/beta interferon (IFN-alpha/beta) and IFN-gamma signaling by blocking the nuclear accumulation of tyrosine-phosphorylated STAT1 (PY-STAT1). According to the proposed model, VP24 binding to members of the NPI-1 subfamily of karyopherin alpha (KPNalpha) nuclear localization signal receptors prevents their binding to PY-STAT1, thereby preventing PY-STAT...

The family of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) are transcription factors. Among them, STAT1 is associated with an apoptosis pathway, while STAT3 is associated with tumorigenicity in various cancer cells. In order to investigate the primary roles of STAT1 and STAT3 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), we blocked STAT3 with two JAK inhibitors: AG490 (JAK2-STA...

Constitutive activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) is a distinctive feature of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-immortalized B cells (lymphoblastoid cell lines [LCLs]). The expression of STAT1 in these cells is modulated by the latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), but the mechanism of STAT1 activation has remained unclear. We demonstrate that the tyrosine phosphorylation...

Autocrine priming of cells by small quantities of constitutively produced type I interferon (IFN) is a well-known phenomenon. In the absence of type I IFN priming, cells display attenuated responses to other cytokines, such as anti-viral protection in response to IFNgamma. This phenomenon was proposed to be because IFNalpha/beta receptor1 (IFNAR1) is a component of the IFNgamma receptor (IFNGR)...

Stringent regulation of the interferon (IFN) signalling pathway is essential for maintaining the immune response to pathogens and tumours. The transcription factor STAT1 is a crucial mediator of this response. Here, we show that hCAF1/CNOT7 regulates class I and II IFN pathways at different crucial steps. In resting cells, hCAF1 can control STAT1 trafficking by interacting with the latent form ...

The S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (Skp2) is an F-box protein that serves as a subunit of the Skp1-Cullin-F-box ubiquitin protein ligase complex. Skp2 is overexpressed in many tumors and promotes tumor formation through its ability to induce the degradation of proteins with antiproliferative and tumor-suppressor functions, such as p27(Kip1). The signal transducer and activator of transcrip...

Many proteins are known to undergo small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) modification by an E1-, E2-, and E3-dependent ligation process. Recognition that protein inhibitor of activated signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) (PIAS) proteins are SUMO E3 ligases raised the possibility that STATs may also be regulated by SUMO modification. Consistent with this possibility, a S...

Upon interferon (IFN) stimulation, Stat1 becomes tyrosine phosphorylated and translocates into the nucleus, where it binds to DNA to activate transcription. The activity of Stat1 is dependent on tyrosine phosphorylation, and its inactivation in the nucleus is accomplished by a previously unknown protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP). We have now purified a Stat1 PTP activity from HeLa cell nuclear...

Activation of AMPK suppresses inflammation, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study was designed to characterize the molecular mechanisms by which AMPK suppresses vascular inflammation. In cultured human aortic smooth muscle cells, pharmacologic or genetic activation of AMPK inhibited the signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 (STAT1), while inhibition of ...

The Stat1 transcription factor plays a pivotal role in both, the antiviral and antigrowth actions of interferons. Stat1 acquires the ability to bind DNA by becoming phosphorylated on Tyr(701). However, to effectively stimulate gene transcription, it must also be phosphorylated on Ser(727). We show that engagement of T cell antigen receptor (TCR)/CD3 complex in either Jurkat cells or peripheral ...