Essential roles for the Tec family kinases Tec and Btk in M-CSF receptor signaling pathways that regulate macrophage survival

M Melcher, B Unger, U Schmidt, IA Rajantie… - The Journal of …, 2008 - journals.aai.org
M Melcher, B Unger, U Schmidt, IA Rajantie, K Alitalo, W Ellmeier
The Journal of Immunology, 2008journals.aai.org
Tec family kinases have important roles in lymphocytes; however, little is known about their
function in monocytes/macrophages. In this study we report that Tec family kinases are
essential for M-CSF (M-CSF)-induced signaling pathways that regulate macrophage
survival. Compared with wild-type bone marrow-derived macrophage (BMM) cultures,
Tec−/− Btk−/− BMM cultures displayed increased cell death that correlated with a severe
drop in macrophage numbers. In addition, macrophages deficient in either Tec or Btk …
Abstract
Tec family kinases have important roles in lymphocytes; however, little is known about their function in monocytes/macrophages. In this study we report that Tec family kinases are essential for M-CSF (M-CSF)-induced signaling pathways that regulate macrophage survival. Compared with wild-type bone marrow-derived macrophage (BMM) cultures, Tec−/− Btk−/− BMM cultures displayed increased cell death that correlated with a severe drop in macrophage numbers. In addition, macrophages deficient in either Tec or Btk showed expression and activation of caspase-11. Elucidation of M-CSF receptor (M-CSFR) signaling pathways revealed that the total tyrosine phosphorylation pattern upon M-CSF stimulation was altered in Tec−/− Btk−/− macrophages despite normal expression and phosphorylation of the M-CSFR. Further, Tec and Btk are required for proper expression of the GM-CSF receptor α (GM-CSFRα) chain in macrophages but not dendritic cells, implicating Tec family kinases in the lineage-specific regulation of GM-CSFRα expression. Taken together, our study shows that Tec and Btk regulate M-CSFR signaling-induced macrophage survival and provides a novel link between Tec family kinases and the regulation of caspase-11 and GM-CSFRα expression.
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