Cutting edge: IL-4-mediated protection of primary B lymphocytes from apoptosis via Stat6-dependent regulation of glycolytic metabolism

FJ Dufort, BF Bleiman, MR Gumina, D Blair… - The Journal of …, 2007 - journals.aai.org
FJ Dufort, BF Bleiman, MR Gumina, D Blair, DJ Wagner, MF Roberts, Y Abu-Amer, TC Chiles
The Journal of Immunology, 2007journals.aai.org
IL-4 prevents the death of naive B lymphocytes through the up-regulation of antiapoptotic
proteins such as Bcl-x L. Despite studies implicating glucose utilization in growth factor-
dependent survival of hemopoietic cells, the role of glucose energy metabolism in
maintaining B cell viability by IL-4 is unknown. We show that IL-4 triggers glucose uptake,
Glut1 expression, and glycolysis in splenic B cells; this is accompanied by increased cellular
ATP. Glycolysis inhibition results in apoptosis, even in the presence of IL-4. IL-4-induced …
Abstract
IL-4 prevents the death of naive B lymphocytes through the up-regulation of antiapoptotic proteins such as Bcl-x L. Despite studies implicating glucose utilization in growth factor-dependent survival of hemopoietic cells, the role of glucose energy metabolism in maintaining B cell viability by IL-4 is unknown. We show that IL-4 triggers glucose uptake, Glut1 expression, and glycolysis in splenic B cells; this is accompanied by increased cellular ATP. Glycolysis inhibition results in apoptosis, even in the presence of IL-4. IL-4-induced glycolysis occurs normally in B cells deficient in insulin receptor substrate-2 or the p85α subunit of PI3K and is not affected by pretreatment with PI3K or MAPK pathway inhibitors. Stat6-deficient B cells exhibit impaired IL-4-induced glycolysis. Cell-permeable, constitutively active Stat6 is effective in restoring IL-4-induced glycolysis in Stat6-deficient B cells. Therefore, besides controlling antiapoptotic proteins, IL-4 mediates B cell survival by regulating glucose energy metabolism via a Stat6-dependent pathway.
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