Signal-transducing adaptor protein-2 has a nonredundant role for IL-33-triggered mast cell activation

Signal-transducing adaptor protein (STAP)-2 is one of the STAP family adaptor proteins and ubiquitously expressed in a variety types of cells. Although STAP-2 is required for modification of FcεRI signal transduction in mast cells, other involvement of STAP-2 in mast cell functions is unknown, yet. In the present study, we mainly investigated functional roles of STAP-2 in IL-33-induced mast cell activation. In STAP-2-deficient, but not STAP-1-deficient, mast cells, IL-33-induced IL-6 and TNF-α production was significantly decreased compared with that of wild-type mast cells. In addition, STAP-2-deficiency greatly reduced TLR4-mediated mast cell activation and cytokine production. For the mechanisms, STAP-2 directly binds to IKKα after IL-33 stimulation, leading to elevated NF-κB activity. In conclusion, STAP-2, but not STAP-1, participates in IL-33-induced mast cells activation.