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The proinflammatory cytokines IL-17A and IL-17F have a high degree of sequence similarity and share many biological properties. Both have been implicated as factors contributing to the progression of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Moreover, reagents that neutralize IL-17A significantly ameliorate disease severity in several mouse models of human disease. IL-17A mediates its effects through interaction with its cognate receptor, the IL-17 receptor (IL-17RA). We report here that the IL-17RA-related molecule, IL-17RC is the receptor for IL-17F. Notably, both IL-17A and IL-17F bind to IL-17RC with high affinity, leading us to suggest that a soluble form of this molecule may serve as an effective therapeutic antagonist of IL-17A and IL-17F. We generated a soluble form of IL-17RC and demonstrate that it effectively blocks binding of both IL-17A and IL-17F, and that it inhibits signaling in response to these cytokines. Collectively, our work indicates that IL-17RC functions as a receptor for both IL-17A and IL-17F and that a soluble version of this protein should be an effective antagonist of IL-17A and IL-17F mediated inflammatory diseases.

Cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) stimulates the transcription of many eucaryotic genes by catalyzing the phosphorylation of the cAMP-regulatory element binding protein (CREB). Conversely, the attenuation or inhibition of cAMP-stimulated gene transcription would require the dephosphorylation of CREB by a nuclear protein phosphatase. In HepG2 cells treated with the protein serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid, dibutyryl-cAMP-stimulated transcription from the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) promoter was enhanced over the level of PEPCK gene transcription observed in cells treated with dibutyryl-cAMP alone. This process was mediated, at least in part, by a region of the PEPCK promoter that binds CREB. Likewise, okadaic acid prevents the dephosphorylation of PKA-phosphorylated CREB in rat liver nuclear extracts and enhances the ability of PKA to stimulate transcription from the PEPCK promoter in cell-free reactions. The ability of okadaic acid to enhance PKA-stimulated transcription in vitro was entirely dependent on the presence of CREB in the reactions. The phospho-CREB (P-CREB) phosphatase activity present in nuclear extracts coelutes with protein Ser/Thr phosphatase type 2A (PP2A) on Mono Q, amino-hexyl Sepharose, and heparin agarose columns and was chromatographically resolved from nuclear protein Ser/Thr-phosphatase type 1 (PP1). Furthermore, P-CREB phosphatase activity in nuclear extracts was unaffected by the heat-stable protein inhibitor-2, which is a potent and selective inhibitor of PP1. Nuclear PP2A dephosphorylated P-CREB 30-fold more efficiently than did nuclear PP1. Finally, when PKA-phosphorylated CREB was treated with immunopurified PP2A and PP1, the PP2A-treated CREB did not stimulate transcription from the PEPCK promoter in vitro, whereas the PP1-treated CREB retained the ability to stimulate transcription. Nuclear PP2A appears to be the primary phosphatase that dephosphorylates PKA-phosphorylated CREB.The activation of signal transduction pathways by hormonal and developmental stimuli ultimately leads to changes in the expression of specific genes. These changes often occur at the level of gene transcription and are mediated by rapid changes in the phosphorylation state of specific transcription factors. For example, the transcriptional transactivation function of the cyclic AMP (cAMP)-regulatory element binding protein (CREB) is stimulated by phosphorylation (15,28,45). CREB phosphorylation by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) is sufficient for the transcriptional transactivation in response to elevated intracellular cAMP levels (15,18,28,45).The stimulation of transcription of certain genes by cAMP is generally characterized by a rapid increase in the rate of transcription to a maximal level, followed by a slow decline in transcription to basal levels (29,38). The decrease in the rate of transcription from stimulated levels occurs even under conditions where PKA activity is elevated, and it is refractory to the addition of agents that ...

Growth and differentiation factor 8 (GDF8) is a TGF-β superfamily member, and negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass. GDF8 inhibition results in prominent muscle growth in mice, but less impressive hypertrophy in primates, including man. Broad TGF-β inhibition suggests another family member negatively regulates muscle mass, and its blockade enhances muscle growth seen with GDF8-specific inhibition. Here we show that activin A is the long-sought second negative muscle regulator. Activin A specific inhibition, on top of GDF8 inhibition, leads to pronounced muscle hypertrophy and force production in mice and monkeys. Inhibition of these two ligands mimics the hypertrophy seen with broad TGF-β blockers, while avoiding the adverse effects due to inhibition of multiple family members. Altogether, we identify activin A as a second negative regulator of muscle mass, and suggest that inhibition of both ligands provides a preferred therapeutic approach, which maximizes the benefit:risk ratio for muscle diseases in man.

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