Protein-tyrosine kinase activation is required for lipopolysaccharide induction of interleukin 1beta and NFkappaB activation, but not NFkappaB nuclear translocation.

In human monocytes, interleukin 1beta protein production and steady state mRNA levels are increased in response to lipopolysaccharide, predominantly as a result of increased transcription of the interleukin 1beta gene. Expression of interleukin 1beta and other cytokines, such as interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha, has been shown to be dependent on the activation of the transcription factor, NFkappaB. Since recent studies have shown that lipopolysaccharide-induced tyrosine kinase activation is not required for NFkappaB nuclear translocation, we sought to determine whether NFkappaB translocated in the absence of tyrosine kinase activity was active in stimulating transcription. We have found that, in the human pro-monocytic cell line, THP-1, the lipopolysaccharide-induced expression of interleukin 1beta is dependent on tyrosine kinase activation. Tyrosine kinases are not required for lipopolysaccharide-mediated nuclear translocation of NFkappaB. However, in the absence of tyrosine kinase activity, the ability of NFkappaB to stimulate transcription is impaired. This inhibition of transcription is specific for NFkappaB; in the absence of tyrosine kinase activity, AP-1-dependent transcription is enhanced. These results suggest that, while lipopolysaccharide-induced expression of inflammatory mediators requires tyrosine kinase activity, tyrosine kinase activity is not obligatory for lipopolysaccharide signal transduction.