Interleukin-13 receptor alpha' but not alpha chain: a functional component of interleukin-4 receptors

In hematopoietic cells, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) gamma chain (termed gammac) is shown to be a component of the IL-4R system, whereas in nonhematopoietic cells, gammac is absent and it is not a component of the IL-4R system. Here, we show that the IL-13R alpha' chain (termed IL-13Ralpha') but not the IL-13R alpha chain (termed IL-13Ralpha) can substitute for gammac and, thus, IL-13Ralpha' forms a novel component of the IL-4R system. This conclusion was drawn on the basis of chemical cross-linking, immunoprecipitation, the ability of IL-13Ralpha' but not IL-13Ralpha to augment IL-4 binding affinity, and the requirement of IL-13Ralpha' for IL-4-induced STAT6 activation in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells transfected with various receptor subunits. Cotransfection of IL-4 receptor p140 (termed IL-4Rbeta) with gammac or IL-13Ralpha' increased IL-4 binding affinity and allowed for STAT6 activation in response to IL-4. However, cotransfection of all three chains did not further increase IL-4 binding or alter the extent of STAT6 activation suggesting that all three chains together do not seem to participate in IL-4 function. Instead, IL-4Rbeta heterodimerizes with gammac or IL-13Ralpha' and mediates STAT6 activation. Cotransfection of IL-4Rbeta with IL-13Ralpha neither increased IL-4 binding affinity nor allowed for STAT6 activation in response to IL-4 indicating that IL-13Ralpha does not convert binding affinity nor transmit signals for IL-4. Because IL-4 phosphorylates JAK1 and JAK2 tyrosine kinases in nonhematopoietic cells, we investigated whether JAK1 and JAK2 are required for IL-4-induced STAT6 activation in various transfectants. Cotransfection experiments with different chains of IL-4R and kinase-deficient JAK1 and JAK2 mutants in CHO cells showed that JAK1 and JAK2 are required for optimal activation of STAT6 in the alpha' beta transfectant but only partially in the beta gammac transfectant. Taken together, our results show that IL-13Ralpha' is a novel functional component of the IL-4R system and that JAK1 and JAK2 mediate IL-4-induced optimal activation of STAT6 in nonhematopoietic cells.