STAT5 molecules are key components of the IL-2 signaling pathway, the deficiency of which often results in autoimmune pathology due to a reduced number of CD4+CD25+ naturally occurring regulatory T (Treg) cells. One of the consequences of the IL-2-STAT5 signaling axis is up-regulation of FOXP3, a master control gene for naturally occurring Treg cells. However, the roles of STAT5 in other Treg subsets have not yet been elucidated. We recently demonstrated that IL-2 enhanced IL-10 production through STAT5 activation. This occurred in two types of human Treg cells: a novel type of umbilical cord blood-derived Treg cell, termed HOZOT, and Tr1-like Treg cells, IL-10-Treg. In this study, we examined the regulatory mechanisms of IL-10 production in these Treg cells, focusing specifically on the roles of STAT5. By performing bioinformatic analysis on the IL-10 locus, we identified one STAT-responsive element within intron 4, designated I-SRE-4, as an interspecies-conserved sequence. We found that I-SRE-4 acted as an enhancer element, and clustered CpGs around the I-SRE-4 were hypomethylated in IL-10-producing Treg cells, but not in other T cells. A gel-shift analysis using a nuclear extract from IL-2-stimulated HOZOT confirmed that CpG DNA methylation around I-SRE-4 reduced STAT5 binding to the element. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed the in situ binding of IL-2-activated STAT5 to I-SRE-4. Thus, we provide molecular evidence for the involvement of an IL-2-STAT5 signaling axis in the expression of IL-10 by human Treg cells, an axis that is regulated by the intronic enhancer, I-SRE-4, and epigenetic modification of this element.

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DNA methylation plays important roles in a wide range of biological phenomena, especially in the embryonic development and tumorigenesis. However, correlations between differentiation and DNA methylation have not been clarified well in each differentiation system. In this study, we focused our attention on regulatory roles of DNA methylation in normal hematopoietic differentiation using a demethylating reagent, 5-azacytidine (5-AzaC). As a source of hematopoietic progenitor cells, we used CD34 + cells prepared from human umbilical cord blood and examined the effects of 5-AzaC on the colony-forming activity and the long-term culture-initiating (LTC-IC) activity of these cells. 5-AzaC treatment increased LTC-IC frequency 1.57-to 2.50-fold as compared to the nontreated control. In parallel to this, immunoblotting analysis showed that the intensity of overall DNA methylation decreased after 5-AzaC treatment. These results indicated the involvement of DNA methylation and demethylation in controlling immaturity of hematopoietic progenitor cells and the usefulness of 5-AzaC for regulating this immaturity. Am.

CD45 is a membrane-associated tyrosine phosphatase that dephosphorylates Src family kinases and Janus kinases (JAKs