Identification of a novel Stat3 recruitment and activation motif within the granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor

Stat3 is essential for early embryonic development and for myeloid differentiation induced by the cytokines granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Two isoforms of Stat3 have been identified, α (p92) and β (p83), which have distinct transcriptional and biological functions. Activation of both Stat3α and Stat3β requires the distal cytoplasmic domain of the G-CSFR, which contains four Tyr at positions 704, 729, 744, and 764. The studies reported here were undertaken to determine which, if any, of these tyrosine residues participated in Stat3α/β recruitment and activation. We showed that Stat3α and Stat3β were affinity purified using phosphopeptides containing Y704 and Y744 but not by nonphosphorylated peptide analogues or by phosphopeptides containing Y729 and Y764. Complementary results were obtained in studies examining the ability of these peptides to destabilize and inhibit DNA binding of activated Stat3. Both Y704 and Y744 contributed to optimal activation of Stat3α/β in M1 murine myeloid leukemia cells containing wild-type and Y-to-F mutant G- CSFR constructs. Carboxy-terminal to Y704 at the +3 position is Gln; YXXQ represents a consensus Stat3 recruitment and activation motif. Y744 is followed at the +3 position by Cys (C); YXXC, represents a novel motif implicated in the recruitment and activation of Stat3. Modeling of the SH2 domain of Stat3 based on homologous SH2 domains of known structure revealed polar residues whose side chains contact the +3 position. This substitution may confer specificity for the Y704- and Y744-based ligands by allowing H- bond formation between the binding surface and the Gln or Cys found at the respective +3 position.