Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 activate STAT1 serine phosphorylation by distinct mechanisms in macrophages.

Engagement of Toll-like receptor (TLR) proteins activates multiple signal transduction pathways. These studies show that engagement of TLR2 and TLR4 leads to rapid phosphorylation of the transcription factor STAT1 at serine 727 (Ser-727 STAT1) in murine macrophages. Only TLR4 engagement induced STAT1 phosphorylation at tyrosine 701, although this response was delayed compared with Ser-727 STAT1 phosphorylation. Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase using LY294002 blocked TLR4-induced STAT1 tyrosine phosphorylation, but this inhibitor had no effect on STAT1 serine phosphorylation. TLR-induced phosphorylation of Ser-727 STAT1 could be blocked by the selective p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor SB203580. However, activation of p38 was not sufficient to induce Ser-727 STAT1 phosphorylation in macrophages. TLR2-induced activation of Ser-727 STAT1 phosphorylation required the adapter protein MyD88, whereas TLR4-induced activation of Ser-727 STAT1 phosphorylation was not solely dependent on MyD88. Lastly, TLR4-induced activation of Ser-727 STAT1 phosphorylation could be blocked by rottlerin, a specific inhibitor of protein kinase C-delta. In contrast, rottlerin had no effect on STAT1 phosphorylation induced via TLR2. Together, these data demonstrate that activation STAT1 tyrosine and serine phosphorylation are distinct consequences of TLR engagement in murine macrophages. Furthermore, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, protein kinase C-delta, and a novel TLR2-specific signaling pathway appear to be necessary to induce Ser-727 STAT1 phosphorylation.