Alternatively activated macrophages engage in homotypic and heterotypic interactions through IL-4 and polyamine-induced E-cadherin/catenin complexes

J Van den Bossche, P Bogaert… - Blood, The Journal …, 2009 - ashpublications.org
J Van den Bossche, P Bogaert, J Van Hengel, CJ Guérin, G Berx, K Movahedi
Blood, The Journal of the American Society of Hematology, 2009ashpublications.org
Alternatively activated macrophages (AAMs), triggered by interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-13, play
a modulating role during Th2 cytokine-driven pathologies, but their molecular armament
remains poorly characterized. Here, we established E-cadherin (Cdh1) as a selective
marker for IL-4/IL-13–exposed mouse and human macrophages, which is STAT6-
dependently induced during polarized Th2 responses associated with Taenia crassiceps
helminth infections or allergic airway inflammation. The IL-4–dependent, arginase …
Abstract
Alternatively activated macrophages (AAMs), triggered by interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-13, play a modulating role during Th2 cytokine-driven pathologies, but their molecular armament remains poorly characterized. Here, we established E-cadherin (Cdh1) as a selective marker for IL-4/IL-13–exposed mouse and human macrophages, which is STAT6-dependently induced during polarized Th2 responses associated with Taenia crassiceps helminth infections or allergic airway inflammation. The IL-4–dependent, arginase-1/ornithine decarboxylase–mediated production of polyamines is important for maximal Cdh1 induction, unveiling a novel mechanism for IL-4–dependent gene transcription. At the macrophage surface, E-cadherin forms a functional complex with the catenins that accumulates at sites of cell contact. Macrophage-specific deletion of the Cdh1 gene illustrates the implication of E-cadherin in IL-4–driven macrophage fusion and heterotypic interactions with CD103+ and KLRG1+ T cells. This study identifies the E-cadherin/catenin complex as a discriminative, partly polyamine-regulated feature of IL-4/IL-13–exposed alternatively activated macrophages that contributes to homotypic and heterotypic cellular interactions.
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