Frontiers in Immunology (Apr 2023)

IL-27 induces an IFN-like signature in murine macrophages which in turn modulate colonic epithelium

  • Caroline Andrews,
  • Mairi H. McLean,
  • Julie A. Hixon,
  • Sergio M. Pontejo,
  • Tregei Starr,
  • Courtney Malo,
  • Margaret Cam,
  • Lisa Ridnour,
  • Heather Hickman,
  • Olivia Steele-Mortimer,
  • David A. Wink,
  • Howard A. Young,
  • Daniel W. McVicar,
  • Wenqing Li,
  • Scott K. Durum

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1021824
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14

Abstract

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Mucosal delivery of IL-27 has been shown to have a therapeutic benefit in murine models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The IL-27 effect was associated with phosphorylated STAT1 (pSTAT1), a product of IL27 receptor signaling, in bowel tissue. To determine whether IL-27 acted directly on colonic epithelium, murine colonoids and primary intact colonic crypts were shown to be unresponsive to IL-27 in vitro and to lack detectable IL-27 receptors. On the other hand, macrophages, which are present in inflamed colon tissue, were responsive to IL-27 in vitro. IL-27 induced pSTAT1 in macrophages, the transcriptome indicated an IFN-like signature, and supernatants induced pSTAT1 in colonoids. IL-27 induced anti-viral activity in macrophages and MHC Class II induction. We conclude that the effects of mucosal delivery of IL-27 in murine IBD are in part based on the known effects of IL27 inducing immunosuppression of T cells mediated by IL-10. We also conclude that IL-27 has potent effects on macrophages in inflamed colon tissue, generating mediators that in turn act on colonic epithelium.

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