Activation of the stress-activated protein kinases by multiple hematopoietic growth factors with the exception of interleukin-4.

The stress-activated protein/c-Jun N-terminal kinases (SAPK/JNK) have been shown to be activated by pro-inflammatory cytokines, as well as physical and chemical stresses. We now show that a variety of hematopoietic growth factors, including Steel locus factor (SLF), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and interleukin-3 (IL-3), all of which promote the growth and survival of various lineages of hematopoietic cells, activate the stress-activated protein kinases in the factor-dependent cell line MC/9. These hematopoietic growth factors activated both 46- and 55-kD isoforms of both SAPK gamma and SAPK alpha. Furthermore, we demonstrate that SAPK activation correlated with the phosphorylation of SAPK/ERK kinase-1 (SEK1) after treatment with SLF or GM-CSF. Interestingly, IL-4, a cytokine with distinctive and important effects on the immune system, was the exception among the hematopoietic growth factors we examined in failing to induce activation of SAPK gamma, SAPK alpha, or SEK1. These findings show that activation of SAPK is involved, not only in responses to stresses, but also in signaling by growth factors that regulate the normal development and function of cells of the immune system.