IL-15 prolongs CD154 expression on human CD4 T cells via STAT5 binding to the CD154 transcriptional promoter

Activation induced CD154 expression on CD4 T cells is prolonged in systemic lupus erythematosus but the mechanism(s) for its dysregulation are unknown. The studies reported herein demonstrate that IL-15 is capable of prolonging CD154 expression on PHA activated CD4 T cells. Since IL-15 signals through STAT5, predicted STAT5 binding sites in the human CD154 transcriptional promoter were identified, and STAT5 binding to the proximal CD154 promoter in vitro and in vivo following primary CD4 T cell activation was demonstrated. Moreover, overexpression of wild-type(WT) STAT5 in primary human CD4 T cells augmented CD154 transcription, whereas overexpression of a dominant negative (DN) STAT5 protein inhibited CD154 transcription. Mutation of the most proximal STAT5 binding site in the CD154 promoter resulted in diminished DNA binding and reduced CD154 transcriptional activity. Interestingly, STAT5-specific siRNA inhibited CD154 surface expression at 48 but not 24 hours after T cell activation. Thus, these findings provide some of the first evidence to support a possible mechanistic link to explain how the overexpression of IL-15 observed in lupus patients may be involved in the prolonged expression of CD154 that has also been observed on lupus CD4 T cells.