Tyrosine phosphorylation of c-Maf enhances the expression of IL-4 gene

J Immunol. 2012 Aug 15;189(4):1545-50. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1200405. Epub 2012 Jul 13.

Abstract

Maf proteins are involved in a variety of biological processes, such as oncogenesis, lens development, and differentiation. In immune system, c-Maf transactivates IL-4 promoter, and ectopic expression of c-Maf skews primary T cell response toward the Th2 pathway. Numerous transcription factors are subjected to posttranslational modification. In this study, to our knowledge, we show for the first time that c-Maf is subjective to tyrosine phosphorylation in Th cells and that the level of its tyrosine phosphorylation positively correlates with IL-4 expression by peripheral Th cells, but is negatively associated with the severity of disease in NOD mice. c-Maf undergoes tyrosine phosphorylation at Tyr(21), Tyr(92), and Tyr(131) residues in Th2 cells. Furthermore, tyrosine phosphorylation at these three residues is critical for the recruitment of c-Maf to IL-4 promoter and IL-4 production in Th cells. Taken together, this study sheds new light on the role of posttranslational modification of c-Maf in IL-4 production and Th cell-mediated autoimmune diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / genetics
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation / physiology*
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • Interleukin-4 / biosynthesis*
  • Interleukin-4 / genetics
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-maf / metabolism*
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Th2 Cells / metabolism*
  • Transfection
  • Tyrosine / metabolism

Substances

  • Maf protein, mouse
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-maf
  • Interleukin-4
  • Tyrosine