STAT-1α and IFN-γ as Modulators of TNF-α Signaling in Macrophages: Regulation and Functional Implications of the TNF Receptor 1:STAT-1α Complex

TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma cooperate in the activation of macrophages. TNF-alpha-dependent activation of NF-kappaB is stronger in the presence of IFN-gamma. STAT-1alpha associates with TNFR1 in TNF-alpha-treated cells, and this association attenuates TNF-alpha-mediated NF-kappaB activation. We hypothesized that nuclear localization of STAT-1alpha due to IFN-gamma signaling would preclude it from being recruited to the TNFR1 and therefore enhance TNF-alpha-induced NF-kappaB activation. In the RAW264.7 macrophage cell line, TNF-alpha treatment indeed recruits STAT-1alpha to the TNFR1, and this association is abrogated when cells are exposed to IFN-gamma. TNF-alpha treatment induces a more robust activation of NF-kappaB in STAT-1alpha-deficient cells, and restoration of STAT-1alpha inhibits TNF-alpha-dependent NF-kappaB activation. Our results suggest that a receptor-proximal level of cross-talk exists between these two cytokine pathways: IFN-gamma limits STAT-1alpha availability to the TNFR1 by depleting STAT-1alpha from the cytoplasm, thus allowing for optimal NF-kappaB activation upon TNF-alpha ligation.