Non-hematopoietic STAT6 induces epithelial tight junction dysfunction and promotes intestinal inflammation and tumorigenesis

Mucosal Immunol. 2019 Nov;12(6):1304-1315. doi: 10.1038/s41385-019-0204-y. Epub 2019 Sep 18.

Abstract

Enhanced gut permeability due to dysregulated epithelial tight junction is often associated with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which have a greater risk for developing colorectal cancer. STAT6 activation was detected in inflamed colonic epithelium of active IBD patients, suggesting a role of epithelial STAT6 in colitis development. Here, we demonstrated that non-hematopoietic STAT6, but not hematopoietic STAT6, triggered DSS-induced colitis and subsequent tumorigenesis. This could be due to the enhancing-effect of STAT6 on gut permeability and microbiota translocation via interruption of epithelial tight junction integrity. Mechanistically, long-myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK1) was identified as a target of STAT6, leading to epithelial tight junction dysfunction and microbiota-driven colitis. Furthermore, neutralization of IL-13, which was primarily derived from type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) in a microbiota-dependent way, inhibited epithelial STAT6 activation and improved gut permeability and DSS-induced colitis. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of STAT6 reduces murine intestinal tumor formation, and tumoral p-STAT6 levels positively correlated to the clinical stage and poor prognosis of human colorectal cancer. Thus, our study reveals a direct role of STAT6 in the disruption of epithelial tight junction integrity and colitis development, and suggests STAT6 as a potential therapeutic and prophylactic target for IBD and colitis-associated cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Translocation
  • Caco-2 Cells
  • Colitis / genetics
  • Colitis / metabolism*
  • Colitis / microbiology
  • Colitis / pathology
  • Colon / drug effects
  • Colon / metabolism*
  • Colon / microbiology
  • Colon / pathology
  • Colonic Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Colonic Neoplasms / microbiology
  • Colonic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Colonic Neoplasms / prevention & control
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Electric Impedance
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome
  • Genes, APC
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-13 / metabolism
  • Intestinal Mucosa / drug effects
  • Intestinal Mucosa / metabolism*
  • Intestinal Mucosa / microbiology
  • Intestinal Mucosa / pathology
  • Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Lymphocytes / pathology
  • Mice, 129 Strain
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Myosin-Light-Chain Kinase / genetics
  • Myosin-Light-Chain Kinase / metabolism
  • Permeability
  • Phosphorylation
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacology
  • STAT6 Transcription Factor / antagonists & inhibitors
  • STAT6 Transcription Factor / deficiency
  • STAT6 Transcription Factor / genetics
  • STAT6 Transcription Factor / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Tight Junctions / drug effects
  • Tight Junctions / metabolism*
  • Tight Junctions / microbiology
  • Tight Junctions / pathology
  • Tissue Culture Techniques

Substances

  • 4-(benzylamino)-2-((2-(3-chloro-4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl)amino)pyrimidine-5-carboxamide
  • Interleukin-13
  • Pyrimidines
  • STAT6 Transcription Factor
  • STAT6 protein, human
  • Stat6 protein, mouse
  • Myosin-Light-Chain Kinase