Termination of Growth Hormone Pulse-Induced STAT5b Signaling

STAT5b (signal transducer and activator of transcription 5b) is a key mediator of the effects of plasma GH pulses on male-specific liver gene expression. STAT5b is activated in liver cells in vivo by physiological pulses of GH and then is rapidly deactivated. Investigation of the cellular events involved in this activation/deactivation cycle using the rat liver cell line CWSV-1 established that a brief exposure to GH and the associated activation of JAK2 (Janus kinase 2) tyrosine kinase activity are both necessary and sufficient to initiate all of the downstream steps associated with STAT5b activation by tyrosine phosphorylation and the subsequent deactivation of both JAK2 kinase and STAT5b. JAK2 signaling to STAT5b at the conclusion of a GH pulse could be sustained by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide or by the proteasome inhibitor MG132, indicating that termination of this JAK2-catalyzed STAT activation loop requires synthesis of a labile or GH-inducible protein factor and is facilitated by the proteasome pathway. This factor may be a phosphotyrosine phosphatase, since the phosphatase inhibitor pervanadate both sustained GH pulse-induced JAK2 signaling to STAT5b and blocked the rapid deactivation of phosphorylated STAT5b (t1/2 = 8.8 ± 0.9 min) seen in its absence. Finally, the serine kinase inhibitor H7 blocked down-regulation of JAK2 signaling to STAT5b in a manner that enabled cells to respond to a subsequent GH pulse without the need for the∼ 3-h interpulse interval normally required for full recovery of GH pulse responsiveness. Termination of GH pulse-induced STAT5b signaling is thus a complex process that involves multiple biochemical events. These are proposed to include the down-regulation of JAK2 signaling to STAT5b via a cycloheximide- and H7-sensitive step, proteasome-dependent degradation of a key component or regulatory factor, and dephosphorylation leading to deactivation of the receptor-kinase signaling complex and its STAT5b substrate via the action of a phosphotyrosine phosphatase.