Blockage of the early events of mitogenic signaling by interferon-gamma in macrophages in response to colony-stimulating factor-1.

Inhibition of cell proliferation is an important biologic function of interferons (IFNs), which has been exploited in therapeutic treatment of certain hematologic malignancies. However, the molecular mechanism was not clear. We have recently shown that IFNs (alpha/beta and gamma) inhibit protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent (such as PDGF and phorbol ester) but not PKC-independent (such as epidermal growth factor) activation of Raf-1 and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK/ERKs) in fibroblasts (Xu et al, Mol Cell Biol 14:8018, 1994), suggesting a novel mechanism by which IFNs execute their antiproliferative function. Monocytes/macrophages are primary targets in vivo for IFN-gamma, the major activity of macrophage-activating factor. In the present study, mechanism of IFN-gamma-induced antiproliferative action in macrophages in response to colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) has been investigated. Our results show that antiproliferative effect of IFN-gamma overrode mitogenic effect of CSF-1 and phorbol ester, as measured by early gene expression, DNA synthesis and cell proliferation. Although activation, phosphorylation, and turnover of the CSF-1 receptor and CSF-1-induced increase in diacylglycerol production remained normal, IFN-gamma blocked CSF-1-stimulated activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, Raf-1 kinase, increase in GTP-bound Ras and tyrosine phosphorylation, and activation of protein kinase C delta (PKC-delta). PKC-delta was required for CSF-1-induced mitogenic signaling and a primary target for IFN-gamma-induced inhibition. Interestingly, although phorbol myristate acetate stimulated Ras activation, PKC-delta did not appear to be an upstream activator of Ras. These studies clearly indicated that IFN-gamma specifically inhibits PKC-delta activation, resulting in blockage of the early events of mitogenesis in macrophages in response to CSF-1.