A single STAT recruitment module in a chimeric cytokine receptor complex is sufficient for STAT activation

in Journal of Biological Chemistry (1997), 272(8), 5269-74

We established a system of receptor chimeras that enabled us to induce heterodimerization of different cytoplasmic tails. Fusion constructs were created that are composed of the extracellular parts of the ... [more ▼]

We established a system of receptor chimeras that enabled us to induce heterodimerization of different cytoplasmic tails. Fusion constructs were created that are composed of the extracellular parts of the interleukin-5 receptor alpha and beta chains, respectively, and the transmembrane and intracellular parts of gp130, the signal transducing chain of the interleukin-6 receptor complex. In COS-7 transfectants we observed a dose-dependent interleukin-5-inducible STAT1 activation for which the presence of both the alpha and the beta chain chimera was needed. No STAT activity was detected if one of the cytoplasmic tails of the receptor complex was deleted, indicating that STAT activity resulted from a receptor dimer rather than from higher receptor aggregates. We further investigated whether dimerization of STAT1 depends on the juxtaposition of two STAT recruitment modules in a receptor complex. We show that a receptor dimer with only a single STAT1 docking site was still able to lead to STAT1 activation. This indicates that the formation of a paired set of STAT binding sites in a receptor complex is not the prerequisite for STAT factor dimerization. Our findings are discussed in view of alternative STAT dimerization models. [less ▲]

Structure of the human APO-1 gene

in European Journal of Immunology (1995), 24(12), 3057-62

APO-1/Fas (CD95) is a type 1 transmembrane protein that belongs to the tumor necrosis factor/nerve growth factor receptor family characterized by cysteine-rich extracellular domains. Cross-linking of APO ... [more ▼]

APO-1/Fas (CD95) is a type 1 transmembrane protein that belongs to the tumor necrosis factor/nerve growth factor receptor family characterized by cysteine-rich extracellular domains. Cross-linking of APO-1 mediates apoptosis in a variety of cells. In the present study we report the isolation and characterization of the human APO-1 gene spanning approximately 25 kb of human chromosome 10. The gene consists of nine exons (25 bp to > 1.44 kb) separated by eight introns (152 bp to approximately 12 kb). The boundaries of exon 2 to 5 encoding the extracellular region do not match the boundaries of the three APO-1 protein subdomains. Exon structure and functional protein domains correspond for exon 6 encoding the transmembrane region and for exon 9 encoding the "death domain". By a polymerase chain reaction-based approach we localized major transcriptional start sites in human spleen cells 77 and 73 nucleotides upstream of the translation initiation codon of the human APO-1 gene. Minor initiation sites were found at positions -128, -111, -91, and -74. The 5' flanking sequence of the human APO-1 gene is GC rich, contains a high number of CpG dinucleotides and lacks a consensus TATA box. Consensus binding sites for the transcription factors Sp1, AP-1, AP-2, GAF, NF-kappa B, and NF-AT were found. The elucidation of the human APO-1 gene structure will facilitate the study of its involvement in various diseases such as in autoimmunity. [less ▲]

APO-I-mediated apoptosis in normal and malignant lymphocytes

in Biochemical Society Transactions (1995), 22(3), 598-600

Purification and molecular cloning of the APO-1 cell surface antigen, a member of the tumor necrosis factor/nerve growth factor receptor superfamily. Sequence identity with the Fas antigen

in Journal of Biological Chemistry (1992), 267(15), 10709-15

The APO-1 antigen as defined by the mouse monoclonal antibody anti-APO-1 was previously found to be expressed on the cell surface of activated human T and B lymphocytes and a variety of malignant human ... [more ▼]

The APO-1 antigen as defined by the mouse monoclonal antibody anti-APO-1 was previously found to be expressed on the cell surface of activated human T and B lymphocytes and a variety of malignant human lymphoid cell lines. Cross-linking of the APO-1 antigen by anti-APO-1 induced programmed cell death, apoptosis, of APO-1 positive cells. To characterize the APO-1 cell surface molecule and to better understand its role in induction of apoptosis, the APO-1 protein was purified to homogeneity from membranes of SKW6.4 B lymphoblastoid cells by solubilization with sodium deoxycholate, affinity chromatography with anti-APO-1 antibody, and reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography. Each purification step was followed by an APO-1-specific solid phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using the monoclonal antibody anti-APO-1. In sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the APO-1 antigen was found to be a membrane glycoprotein of 48-kDa. Endoproteinase-cleaved peptides of the APO-1 protein were subjected to amino acid sequencing, and corresponding oligonucleotides were used to identify a full-length APO-1 cDNA clone from an SKW6.4 cDNA library. The deduced amino acid sequence of APO-1 showed sequence identity with the Fas antigen, a cysteine-rich transmembrane protein of 335 amino acids with significant similarity to the members of the tumor necrosis factor/nerve growth factor receptor superfamily. The APO-1 antigen was expressed upon transfection of APO-1 cDNA into BL60-P7 Burkitt's lymphoma cells and conferred sensitivity towards anti-APO-1-induced apoptosis to the transfectants. [less ▲]