Role of common cytokine receptor γ chain (γc)– and Jak3-dependent signaling in the proliferation and survival of murine mast cells

Abstract

Abstract The regulatory roles of the common cytokine receptor γ chain (γc)– and Jak3-dependent signaling in the proliferation and survival of mast cells were determined using γc-deficient (γc−) and Jak3-deficient (Jak3−) mice. Although the mast cells in γc− and Jak3− mice were morphologically indistinguishable from those in wild-type mice, the number of peritoneal mast cells was decreased in γc− and Jak3− mice as compared with that in wild-type mice. Among γc-related cytokines, interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-9, but not IL-2, IL-7, or IL-15, enhanced the proliferation and survival of bone marrow–derived mast cells (BMMCs) from wild-type mice. However, the effects of IL-4 and IL-9 were absent in BMMCs from γc− and Jak3−mice. In addition, IL-4Rα, γc, and Jak3, but not IL-2Rβ or IL-7Rα, were expressed in BMMCs. In contrast, IL-13 did not significantly induce the proliferation and survival of BMMCs even from wild-type mice, and IL-13Rα1 was not expressed in BMMCs. Furthermore, IL-4 phosphorylated the 65-kd isoform of Stat6 in BMMCs from wild-type mice but not from γc− and Jak3− mice. These results indicate that γc- and Jak3-dependent signaling is essential for IL-4– and IL-9–induced proliferation and survival of murine mast cells, that the effects of IL-4 are mediated by type I IL-4R and that type II IL-4R is absent on mast cells, and that IL-4 phosphorylates the 65-kd isoform of Stat6 in mast cells in a γc- and Jak3-dependent manner.