Roles of protein phosphatase 2A in IL-6 signal transduction in Hep3B cells

IL-6 is a pleiotropic cytokine that modulates the diverse functions of hepatocytes such as acute phase responses and inflammation. When human hepatoma cells, Hep3B cells, were treated with IL-6, p140 was phosphorylated rapidly and reached its maximal rate at 1 min after treatment. Okadaic acid, an inhibitor of protein phosphatase 1 and 2A, affected IL-6-induced p140 phosphorylation. Interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) is a transcription factor on the enhancer of type I interferons, and its gene expression is induced by IL-6. When IRF-1 promoter-luciferase construct was transfected into Hep3B cells, okadaic acid increased IL-6- induced IRF-1 promoter activity. In addition, co-transfection of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) antisense constructs further increased IL-6-induced IRF-1 promoter activity, suggesting that PP2A is involved in IL-6 signaling. In addition, IL-6 directly induced the PP2A phosphorylation. PP2A phosphorylation was maximal at 1 min after IL-6 stimulation, but it was not induced by other inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha or TGF-beta. Furthermore, IL-6 activated PP2A activity simultaneously. Taken together, these data indicate that IL-6 modulates the functions of PP2A which is involved in downstream events of IL-6 signaling in Hep3B.