Cr(VI)-stimulated STAT3 tyrosine phosphorylation and nuclear translocation in human airway epithelial cells requires Lck.

Chronic inhalation of low amounts of Cr(VI) promotes pulmonary diseases and cancers through poorly defined mechanisms. SFKs (Src family kinases) in pulmonary airway cells may mediate Cr(VI) signalling for lung injury, although the downstream effectors of Cr(VI)-stimulated SFKs and how they relate to pathogenic gene induction are unknown. Therefore SFK-dependent activation of transcription factors by non-cytotoxic exposure of human bronchial epithelial cells to Cr(VI) was determined. Protein-DNA binding arrays demonstrated that exposing BEAS 2B cells to 5 microM Cr(VI) for 4 and 24 h resulted in increased protein binding to 25 and 43 cis-elements respectively, while binding to 12 and 16 cis-elements decreased. Of note, Cr(VI) increased protein binding to several STAT (signal transducer and activator of transcription) cis-elements. Cr(VI) stimulated acute tyrosine phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT1 over a 4 h period and a prolonged activation of STAT3 that reached a peak between 48 and 72 h. This prolonged activation was observed for both STAT3alpha and STAT3beta. Immunofluorescent confocal microscopy confirmed that Cr(VI) increased nuclear localization of phosphorylated STAT3 for more than 72 h in both primary and BEAS 2B human airway cells. Cr(VI) induced transactivation of both a STAT3-driven luciferase reporter construct and the endogenous inflammatory gene IL-6 (interleukin-6). Inhibition with siRNA (small interfering RNA) targeting the SFK Lck, but not dominant-negative JAK (Janus kinase), prevented Cr(VI)-stimulated phosphorylation of both STAT3 isoforms and induction of IL-6. The results suggest that Cr(VI) activates epithelial cell Lck to signal for prolonged STAT3 activation and transactivation of IL-6, an important immunomodulator of lung disease progression.