The Interleukin-13 Receptor-α1 Chain Is Essential for Induction of the Alternative Macrophage Activation Pathway by IL-13 but Not IL-4

Macrophages coexpress both the interleukin (IL)-2R gamma chain (gamma(c)) and IL-13R alpha 1. These receptor chains can heterodimerize with IL-4R alpha to form type I or type II IL-4 receptor complexes, respectively. We used macrophages derived from Il2rg and Il13ra1 knockout (KO) mice to evaluate the requirements for these receptor chains for induction of the alternative macrophage activation (AMA) pathway by IL-4 and IL-13. Absence of gamma(c) significantly decreased activation of STAT6 by IL-4 but not IL-13. However, although activation of STAT6 by IL-4 was markedly reduced in gamma(c) KO macrophages, it was not abolished, indicating that IL-4 can still signal through type II IL-4 receptors via the IL-13R alpha 1 chain. IL-13 failed to activate STAT6 in macrophages derived from Il13ra1 KO mice; however, these cells remained fully responsive to IL-4. The inability of IL-13 but not IL-4 to signal in Il13ra1(-/-) macrophages correlated with the inability of IL-13 but not IL-4 to induce expression of genes such as Arg1, Retnla and Ccl11 that are characteristically expressed by alternatively activated macrophages. In addition, IL-13 but not IL-4 failed to induce membrane fusion and giant cell formation by Il13ra1 KO macrophages. These findings demonstrate that the IL-13R alpha 1 chain is essential for induction of the AMA pathway by IL-13 but not IL-4. (C) 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel