Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

A Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Assay to Identify Novel NFAT2 Target Genes in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
09:52

A Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Assay to Identify Novel NFAT2 Target Genes in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Published on: December 4, 2018

Controlling Nuclear Jaks and Stats for Specific Gene Activation by Ifn γ and Other Cytokines: A Possible Steroid-like

Howard M Johnson1, Ezra Noon-Song, Chulbul M Ahmed

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.

Journal of Clinical & Cellular Immunology
|August 28, 2012
PubMed

Insights

The JAK/STAT pathway

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Signaling
  • Epigenetics

Background:

  • The JAK/STAT signaling pathway regulates gene expression in response to cytokines.
  • Specificity in this pathway is not well understood, despite limited numbers of Janus kinases (JAKs) and Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STATs).
  • The classical model posits limited roles for ligands, receptors, and JAKs after initial signaling events.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanism of specific gene activation mediated by the JAK/STAT pathway.
  • To investigate the roles of ligand, receptor, and JAKs in nuclear events of gene activation, particularly for gamma interferon (IFNγ).

Main Methods:

  • Focus on gamma interferon (IFNγ) signaling.
  • Investigated the involvement of ligand, receptor, and activated JAKs in nuclear events.
  • Characterized the function of the IFNGR1 receptor subunit and JAKs in gene activation and epigenetic modifications.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that ligand, receptor, and activated JAKs participate in nuclear events for specific gene activation.
  • Identified the receptor subunit IFNGR1 as a transcription/cotranscription factor.
  • Showed JAKs are crucial for epigenetic events essential for specific gene activation.

Conclusions:

  • The classical JAK/STAT signaling model is incomplete.
  • Receptor subunits and JAKs play active roles in the nucleus during gene activation.
  • This revised model has implications for understanding gene regulation in cancer and stem cell differentiation.

More Related Videos

Experimental Infection with Listeria monocytogenes as a Model for Studying Host Interferon-γ Responses10:10

Experimental Infection with Listeria monocytogenes as a Model for Studying Host Interferon-γ Responses

Published on: November 16, 2016

Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) to Assay Dynamic Histone Modification in Activated Gene Expression in Human Cells13:20

Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) to Assay Dynamic Histone Modification in Activated Gene Expression in Human Cells

Published on: July 29, 2010

Related Concept Videos

The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway01:20

The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway

Several cytokine receptors have tightly bound Janus kinase or JAK proteins attached at their cytosolic tail. Small signaling molecules such as cytokines, growth hormones, or prolactins bind to the cytokine receptors and initiate their dimerization. The dimerization brings the cytosolic JAKs together that trans-phosphorylate and activates each other. The activated JAKs now phosphorylate cytosolic tails of the cytokine receptors, which serve as binding sites for adaptor proteins such as  SH2...
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway02:26

NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway

The transcription factor NF-κB was discovered in 1986 in the lab of Nobel laureate Professor David Baltimore, for its interaction with the immunoglobulin light chain enhancer in B-cells. After more than three decades of study, it is now evident that NF-κB regulates the expression of over 100 genes. Most of these genes play an essential role in the innate and adaptive immune responses as well as the inflammatory responses of animals.
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The heterodimer of NF-κB...
Co-activators and Co-repressors02:04

Co-activators and Co-repressors

Gene transcription is regulated by the synergistic action of several proteins that form a complex at a gene regulatory site. This is observed in eukaryotes, where the regulation of gene expression is a complex process. Regulatory proteins in eukaryotes can broadly be classified into two types – regulators that bind directly to specific DNA sequences and co-regulators that associate with regulatory proteins but cannot directly bind to the DNA. These co-regulators are further divided into...
Co-activators and Co-repressors02:04

Co-activators and Co-repressors

Gene transcription is regulated by the synergistic action of several proteins that form a complex at a gene regulatory site. This is observed in eukaryotes, where the regulation of gene expression is a complex process. Regulatory proteins in eukaryotes can broadly be classified into two types – regulators that bind directly to specific DNA sequences and co-regulators that associate with regulatory proteins but cannot directly bind to the DNA. These co-regulators are further divided into...
TGF - β Signaling Pathway01:16

TGF - β Signaling Pathway

The TGF-β signaling pathway regulates cell growth, differentiation, adhesion, motility, and development. TGF-β ligands that induce TGF-β signaling are synthesized in their latent form. Several proteases or cell surface receptors such as integrins act upon the latent form, releasing the active ligand. There are three types of mammalian TGF-βs: (TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3) that bind as homodimers or heterodimers to TGF-β receptors. The TGF-β receptors are of three kinds RI, RII, and RIII. The RI...
NF-kB-dependent Signaling Pathway02:26

NF-kB-dependent Signaling Pathway

The transcription factor NF-κB was discovered in 1986 in the lab of Nobel laureate Professor David Baltimore, for its interaction with the immunoglobulin light chain enhancer in B-cells. After more than three decades of study, it is now evident that NF-κB regulates the expression of over 100 genes. Most of these genes play an essential role in the innate and adaptive immune responses as well as the inflammatory responses of animals.
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The heterodimer of NF-κB...