The multifaceted responses of human monocytes to IFN-gamma and IL-4 are not reducible to M1/M2 polarization of Macrophages

ABSTRACT: Macrophages are known to be polarized into inflammatory (M1) and immunoregulatory (M2) cells when they are stimulated by agonists such as IFN-gamma and IL-4, respectively. If circulating monocytes may be polarized in response to T cell signals is often misguidedly deduced from macrophage results. Here the transcriptional responses of human CD14+ monocytes to IFN-gamma and IL-4 were analyzed using whole genome microarrays. A principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering showed that monocyte and macrophage responses were distinct. Monocytes stimulated with IFN-gamma and IL-4 for 6 hours exhibited some features of macrophage polarization. Indeed, when 80 genes considered as M1 and M2 genes were analyzed, we found that M1 genes were modulated in response to IFN-gamma and that M2 genes were modulated in response to IL-4. The M1 polarization of monocytes was transient because only M2 genes were modulated when monocytes were stimulated with IFN-gamma and IL-4 for 18 hours. However, the activation of monocytes by IFN-gamma and IL-4 could not be reduced to M1/M2 polarization status. Indeed, monocytes exhibited early specific signatures composed of 46 and 39 up-regulated genes in response to IFN-gamma and IL-4, respectively, and a late signature common to both molecules that consisted of 57 up-regulated genes. Taken together, these results demonstrated the extreme plasticity of human monocytes and suggested the existence of a core transcriptional termination program. Using early and late signatures might be pertinent to investigate monocyte activation in inflammatory or infectious diseases.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE36537 | GEO | 2013/03/15

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA153409

REPOSITORIES: GEO