Impaired response to interferon‐ γ in activated macrophages due to tyrosine nitration of STAT1 by endogenous nitric oxide

Inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression and activity were measured in the mouse macrophage cell line J774 after exposure to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with or without interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ). Inhibition of NOS activity by concomitant N G ‐monomethyl‐ L ‐arginine ( L ‐NMMA) treatment further increased iNOS protein levels, with a substantial increase in iNOS half‐life. Western blotting and ELISA demonstrated that several cell proteins were tyrosine‐nitrated when iNOS activity was high. Rapid IFN‐γ‐induced phosphorylation of STAT1 was reduced by about 40% when cells were pretreated to induce iNOS, unless L ‐NMMA was present during the pretreatment period. 2D gel electrophoresis demonstrated the presence of nitrotyrosine in STAT1 after iNOS induction, and confirmed the reduction in phospho‐STAT1 on subsequent stimulation with IFN‐γ for 15 min and its partial restoration when L ‐NMMA was present during the pretreatment period. We did not detect tyrosine nitration of the upstream kinase JAK2 in LPS+IFN‐γ pretreated cells, but JAK2 activity was also impaired, and was partially restored by concomitant L ‐NMMA pretreatment. We conclude that endogenous production of NO induces feedback inhibition of signalling pathways activated by IFN‐γ, at least in part by nitrating tyrosine residues in STAT1 which prevents phosphorylation.British Journal of Pharmacology (2001) 132 , 419–426; doi: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0703838