Jung, Joo EunKaratas, HulyaLiu, YuYalcin, AyferMontaner, JoanLo, Engvan Leyen, Klaus2017-05-242015Jung, Joo Eun, Hulya Karatas, Yu Liu, Ayfer Yalcin, Joan Montaner, Eng H Lo, and Klaus van Leyen. 2015. “STAT-Dependent Upregulation of 12/15-Lipoxygenase Contributes to Neuronal Injury after Stroke.” Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism 35 (12) (December): 2043–2051. doi:10.1038/jcbfm.2015.169. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/jcbfm.2015.169.0887-6924http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:32741921Oxidative stress is a major brain injury mechanism following ischemic stroke. 12/15-lipoxygenase (12/15-LOX) is a key mediator of oxidative stress, contributing to neuronal cell death and vascular leakage. Nonetheless, the mechanism leading to its up-regulation is currently unknown. We show here that Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (STATs), specifically STAT6 and possibly STAT1, increase transcription of 12/15-LOX in neuronal cells. Both p-STAT6 and -1 bound to specific STAT binding sites in the mouse 12/15-LOX promoter. siRNA knockdown showed STAT6 to be the dominant regulator, reducing 12/15-LOX promoter activation and cell death in oxidatively stressed HT22 cells. STAT6 siRNA efficiently prevented the increase of 12/15-LOX in murine primary neurons, both after induction of oxidative stress as well as following oxygen-glucose deprivation. Early activation of STAT6 and STAT1 in mice was consistent with a role in regulating 12/15-LOX in focal ischemia. Brains of human stroke patients showed increased p-STAT6 and p-STAT1 in the peri-infarct region, along with 12/15-LOX and markers of apoptosis. These results link STAT6 and STAT1 to the 12/15-LOX damage pathway and suggest dis-regulation of STAT-dependent transcription as injury mechanism in stroke. Selectively targeting STATs may thus be a novel therapeutic approach to reducing brain injury following a stroke.en-USlipoxygenasetranscription factorischemianeuronSTATJournal Article2017-05-2410.1038/jcbfm.2015.169