In this study we show that activation of STAT pathways is developmentally regulated and plays a role in dendritic cell (DC) differentiation and maturation. The STAT6 signaling pathway is constitutively activated in immature DC (iDC) and declines as iDCs differentiate into mature DCs (mDCs). However, down-regulation of this pathway during DC differentiation is accompanied by dramatic induction of suppressors of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1), SOCS2, SOCS3 and CIS (cytokine-induced SH2-containing protein) expression, suggesting that inhibition of STAT6 signaling may be required for DC maturation. In contrast, STAT1 signaling is most robust in mDCs and is not inhibited by the up-regulated SOCS proteins, indicating that STAT1 and STAT6 pathways are distinctly regulated in maturing DC. Furthermore, optimal activation of STAT1 during DC maturation requires both IL-4 and GM-CSF, suggesting that synergistic effects of both cytokines may, in part, provide the requisite STAT1 signaling intensity for DC maturation. Analyses of STAT1-/- DCs reveal a role of STAT1 in repressing CD86 expression in precursor DCs (pDCs) and up-regulating CD40, CD11c and SOCS1 expression in mDCs. We further show that SOCS proteins are differentially induced by IL-4 and GM-CSF in DCs: SOCS1 is primarily induced by IL-4 through a STAT1-dependent mechanism while SOCS3 is induced mainly by GM-CSF. Taken together, these results suggest that cytokine-induced maturation of DCs is under feedback regulation by SOCS proteins and that the switch from constitutive activation of the STAT6 pathway in iDCs to predominant utilization of STAT1 signals in mDC is mediated in part by STAT1-induced SOCS expression.
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