Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha is a central regulator of bile acid conjugation

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha (HNF4alpha) has an important role in regulating the expression of liver-specific genes. Because bile acids are produced from cholesterol in liver and many enzymes involved in their biosynthesis are preferentially expressed in liver, the role of HNF4alpha in the regulation of bile acid production was examined. In mice, unconjugated bile acids are conjugated with taurine by the liver-specific enzymes, bile acid-CoA ligase and bile acid-CoA:amino acid N-acyltransferase (BAT). Mice lacking hepatic HNF4alpha expression exhibited markedly decreased expression of the very long chain acyl-CoA synthase-related gene (VLACSR), a mouse candidate for bile acid-CoA ligase, and BAT. This was associated with markedly elevated levels of unconjugated and glycine-conjugated bile acids in gallbladder. HNF4alpha was found to bind directly to the mouse VLACSR and BAT gene promoters, and the promoter activities were dependent on HNF4alpha-binding sites and HNF4alpha expression. In conclusion, HNF4alpha plays a central role in bile acid conjugation by direct regulation of VLACSR and BAT in vivo.     

Regulation of constitutive androstane receptor and its target genes by fasting, cAMP, hepatocyte nuclear factor alpha, and the coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha

Animal studies reveal that fasting and caloric restriction produce increased activity of specific metabolic pathways involved in resistance to weight loss in liver. Evidence suggests that this phenomenon may in part occur through the action of the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR, NR1I3). Currently, the precise molecular mechanisms that activate CAR during fasting are unknown. We show that fasting coordinately induces expression of genes encoding peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha), CAR, cytochrome P-450 2b10 (Cyp2b10), UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1a1 (Ugt1a1), sulfotransferase 2a1 (Sult2a1), and organic anion-transporting polypeptide 2 (Oatp2) in liver in mice. Treatments that elevate intracellular cAMP levels also produce increased expression of these genes in cultured hepatocytes. Our data show that PGC-1alpha interaction with hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha (HNF4alpha, NR2A1) directly regulates CAR gene expression through a novel and evolutionarily conserved HNF4-response element (HNF4-RE) located in its proximal promoter. Expression of PGC-1alpha in cells increases CAR expression and ligand-independent CAR activity. Genetic studies reveal that hepatic expression of HNF4alpha is required to produce fasting-inducible CAR expression and activity. Taken together, our data show that fasting produces increased expression of genes encoding key metabolic enzymes and an uptake transporter protein through a network of interactions involving cAMP, PGC-1alpha, HNF4alpha, CAR, and CAR target genes in liver. Given the recent finding that mice lacking CAR exhibit a profound decrease in resistance to weight loss during extended periods of caloric restriction, our findings have important implications in the development of drugs for the treatment of obesity and related diseases.