Abstract
Whereas interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a proinflammatory cytokine, IL-10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine. Although signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is essential for the function of both IL-6 and IL-10, it is unclear how these two cytokines have such opposing functions. Here we show that suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) is a key regulator of the divergent action of these two cytokines. In macrophages lacking the Socs3 gene or carrying a mutation of the SOCS3-binding site in gp130, the lipopolysaccharide-induced production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and IL-12 is suppressed by both IL-10 and IL-6. SOCS3 specifically prevents activation of STAT3 by IL-6 but not IL-10. Taken together, these data indicate that SOCS3 selectively blocks signaling by IL-6, thereby preventing its ability to inhibit LPS signaling.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Y. Kawabata, J. Anderson and S. Woodard for technical assistance; M. Ohara for language assistance; N. Arifuku for preparing the manuscript; S. Evans for critical comments; I. Förster for LysM-cre mice; and A. Mui for the murine IL-10 receptor cDNA in pMX. This work was supported by Grants-in-Aid (to Y.A.) from the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology, Sports and Culture of Japan, the Japan Health Science Foundation, the Human Frontier Science Program, Mochida Memorial Foundation, Uehara Memorial Foundation and the Japan Research Foundation for Clinical Pharmacology.
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Yasukawa, H., Ohishi, M., Mori, H. et al. IL-6 induces an anti-inflammatory response in the absence of SOCS3 in macrophages. Nat Immunol 4, 551–556 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/ni938
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ni938