Host defense against the parasite Toxoplasma gondii requires the cytokine interferon-gamma (IFNγ). However, Toxoplasma inhibits the host cell transcriptional response to IFNγ, which is thought to allow the parasite to establish a chronic infection. It is not known whether all strains of Toxoplasma block IFNγ-responsive transcription equally and whether this inhibition occurs solely through the ...

STAT2 is the quintessential transcription factor for type 1 interferons (IFNs), where it functions as a heterodimer with STAT1. However, the human and murine STAT2-deficient phenotypes suggest important additional and currently unidentified type 1 IFN-independent activities. Here, we show that STAT2 constitutively bound to STAT1, but not STAT3, via a conserved interface. While this interaction ...

Previous studies have shown that the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) activation is increased in primary cardiac myocytes exposed to simulated ischaemia/reperfusion injury. This promotes apoptotic cell death by enhancing the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins. Autophagy has been demonstrated to play a cardioprotective role in the heart following ...

The pathological role of interferon-g (IFN-g) in atherosclerosis is mediated through effects on macrophages, foam cells, and other vascular cells. Recently, we reported that ABC1 message and protein levels were decreased 3to 4-fold in foam cells by IFN-g. In the present study, the pathway by which IFN-g inhibited ABC1 expression was investigated with Stat1 knockout mice. IFN-g–stimulated, wild-...

This study examines the role of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) in induction of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated gene expression both in vitro and in vivo. LPS-induced expression of an interferon (IFN)-inducible 10-kDa protein (IP-10), IFN regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNAs was severely impaired in macrophages prepared...

Virus-induced interferons (IFNs) have been identified in various fish species and display antiviral activities similar to mammalian type I IFNs. However, apart from the mammalian IFN system, the IFN signaling pathway remains largely unknown. Using transient transfection and recombinant protein, we are reporting in this study that a crucian carp (Carassius auratus L.) IFN exhibits strong antivir...

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens are constitutively expressed yet highly induced by interferon (IFN) during inflammation. We found that not only IFN-induced but also normal basal expression of MHC I required IFN receptors and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)1, providing genetic evidence for continuous IFN signaling. Surprisingly, an IFN-independent ...

This study was aimed to observe whether expressions of JAK2, STAT1, STAT5 proteins in indomethacin-treated CML cells involved in the proliferation inhibition of CML cells, and elucidate the pharmacological mechanism of indomethacin anti-leukemia. MTT assay and trypan blue dye exclusion test were used to detect the inhibitory effect of indomethacin on CML cells proliferation. JAK2, STAT1, STAT5 ...

Signal transducers and activators of transcription 1 (STAT1) transduces signals from cytokines and growth factors, particularly IFN-γ, and regulates expression of genes involved in cell survival/death, proliferation, and migration. STAT1 is activated through phosphorylation on its tyrosine 701 by JAKs and is inactivated through dephosphorylation by tyrosine phosphatases. We discovered a natural...

Signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 (STAT1) plays a role in the transduction of stress and cytokine responses, DNA damage, and activation of B and T cell immune responses. The ability of STAT1 to act as a pro- or anti-apoptotic signaling molecule depends upon the cellular environment and stimulus. Post-translational modifications provide the main method of control over the functi...