Molecular mechanism underlying 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D regulation of nephrin gene expression

Nephrin plays a key role in maintaining the structure of the slit diaphragm in the glomerular filtration barrier. Our previous studies have demonstrated potent renoprotective activity for 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)(2)D(3)). Here we showed that in podocytes 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) markedly stimulated nephrin mRNA and protein expression. ChIP scan of the 6-kb 5' upstream region of the mouse nephrin gene identified several putative vitamin D response elements (VDREs), and EMSA confirmed that the VDRE at -312 (a DR4-type VDRE) could be bound by vitamin D receptor (VDR)/retinoid X receptor. Luciferase reporter assays of the proximal nephrin promoter fragment (-427 to +173) showed strong induction of luciferase activity upon 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) treatment, and the induction was abolished by mutations within -312VDRE. ChIP assays showed that, upon 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) activation, VDR bound to this VDRE leading to recruitment of DRIP205 and RNA polymerase II and histone 4 acetylation. Treatment of mice with a vitamin D analog induced nephrin mRNA and protein in the kidney, accompanied by increased VDR binding to the -312VDRE and histone 4 acetylation. 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) reversed high glucose-induced nephrin reduction in podocytes, and vitamin D analogs prevented nephrin decline in both type 1 and 2 diabetic mice. Together these data demonstrate that 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) stimulates nephrin expression in podocytes by acting on a VDRE in the proximal nephrin promoter. Nephrin up-regulation likely accounts for part of the renoprotective activity of vitamin D.     

DNA bending is induced by binding of vitamin D receptor-retinoid X receptor heterodimers to vitamin D response elements.

The ability of vitamin D receptor-retinoid X receptor (VDR-RXR) heterodimers to induce a DNA bend upon binding to various vitamin D response elements (VDRE) has been investigated by circular permutation and phasing analysis. Recombinant rat VDR expressed in the baculovirus system and purified recombinant human RXR beta have been used. The VDREs were from 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-[OH]2D3) enhanced genes (rat osteocalcin, rOC; mouse osteopontin, mOP, and rat 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-24-hydroxylase, r24-OHase), and a 1,25-(OH)2D3 repressed gene (human parathyroid hormone, hPTH). As shown by circular permutation analysis, VDR-RXR induced a distortion in DNA fragments containing various VDREs. Calculated distortion angles were similar in magnitude (57 degrees, 56 degrees, 61 degrees, and 59 degrees, respectively for rOC, mOP, r24-Ohase, and hPTH). The distortions took place with or without a 1,25-(OH)2D3 ligand. The centers of the apparent bend were found in the vicinity of the midpoint of all VDREs, except for rOC VDRE which was found 4 bp upstream. Phasing analysis was performed with DNA fragments containing mOP VDRE and revealed that VDR-RXR heterodimers induced a directed bend of 26 degrees, not influenced by the presence of hormone. In this study we report that similar to other members of the steroid and thyroid nuclear receptor superfamily, VDR-RXR heterodimers induce DNA bending.     

Direct Repeat 3-Type Element Lacking the Ability to Bind to the Vitamin D Receptor Enhances the Function of a Vitamin D-responsive Element

In a previous study, we identified the element which allows the maximum response to 1,25(OH)₂D₃ in concert with two vitamin D-responsive elements (VDREs) in the rat 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ 24-hydroxylase gene promoter, and designated it an accessory element [Ohyama, Y., Ozono, K., Uchida, M., Yoshimura, M., Shinki, T., Suda, T. and Yamamoto, O. Functional assessment of two vitamin D-responsive elements in the rat 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ 24-hydroxylase gene. J. Biol. Chem., 1996, 271, 30381-30385]. The accessory element located adjacent to the proximal VDRE is not capable of binding to the vitamin D receptor (VDR), while its nucleotide sequence resembles the consensus sequence of VDREs, direct repeat 3 (DR3). To clarify the difference between the accessory element and VDREs, the function of the accessory element was compared with that of VDREs. The mutated accessory elements with a single nucleotide substitution showed the capability of binding to the VDR in vitro. However, these mutants still did not act as a VDRE when driven by the heterologous SV40 promoter. The accessory element did not enhance the function of a cAMP-responsive element. The corresponding site of the accessory element in the human 24-hydroxylase is a DR4-type element, and this element did not function as an accessory element. These results indicate that a critical nucleotide sequence is necessary for the binding to the VDR and for mediating the vitamin D effect, and suggest the different regulation between the rat and human 24-hydroxylase gene.     

Identification of a vitamin D responsive element in the promoter of the rat cytochrome P450(24) gene.

Mitochondrial cytochrome P450(24) expression in the vitamin D-degradation pathway is induced by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3]. The molecular basis of this enzyme regulation was investigated by isolating the rat P450(24) gene and examining the 5'-flanking region for possible cis-acting regulatory elements involved in the induction process. Constructs containing different lengths of 5'-flanking region of the gene were linked to a luciferase reporter gene and transiently co-transfected with a human vitamin D receptor (hVDR) expression vector (pRSV-hVDR) into COS-1 cells. These experiments showed that the flanking region from -298 to -122 directed a 24-fold increase in luciferase activity in response to 1,25-(OH)2D3 provided that the cells were co-transfected with pRSV-hVDR. Within this region, the sequence from position -171 to -123 conferred 1,25-(OH)2D3 responsiveness to both the native P450(24) promoter and the heterologous thymidine kinase promoter. Mutagenesis revealed that the sequence from position -150 to -136 is required for induction by 1,25-(OH)2D3 and that this sequence shares similarity to other vitamin D responsive elements (VDREs) reported for other genes. Gel shift mobility assays showed this region specifically bound a nuclear protein complex from 1,25-(OH)2D3 treated COS-1 cells that had been co-transfected with pRSV-hVDR. The retarded band was specifically competed with the well characterized VDRE from the mouse osteopontin gene. A VDRE at position -150 to -136 in the promoter of the rat P450(24) gene is identified in this study and found to be important in mediating the enhanced expression of the gene by 1,25-(OH)2D3.     

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D(3) induction of the tissue-type plasminogen activator gene is mediated through its multihormone-responsive enhancer.

Tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) is a positive modulator of the plasminogen-plasmin system, which is involved in bone remodeling. In the present study, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1,25(OH)(2)D(3)] was found to stimulate t-PA gene expression in ROS17/2.8 osteosarcoma cells. Transient transfection analysis and in vitro DNA binding studies identified two vitamin D-responsive elements (VDRE) in the human t-PA enhancer. The first VDRE (bp -7175 to -7146) comprised an inverted palindrome separated by 9 bp (IP9) overlapping a palindrome separated by 3 bp. The second VDRE (bp -7315 to -7302) is an IP2 element overlapping the previously identified retinoic acid-responsive element. 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) treatment of primary osteoblasts derived from t-PAlacZ transgenic mice containing 9 kb of 5' sequence of the human t-PA gene increased the number of lacZ-positive cells, fitting with the probability model of enhancer function.     

Identification of a functional vitamin D response element in the human insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 promoter

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3] plays a critical role in maintaining calcium and phosphate homeostasis and bone formation but also exhibits antiproliferative activity on many cancer cells, including prostate cancer. We have shown that the antiproliferative actions of 1,25-(OH)2D3 in the LNCaP human prostate cancer cell line are mediated in part by induction of IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3). The purpose of this study was to determine the molecular mechanism involved in 1,25-(OH)2D3 regulation of IGFBP-3 expression and to identify the putative vitamin D response element (VDRE) in the IGFBP-3 promoter. We cloned approximately 6 kb of the IGFBP-3 promoter sequence and demonstrated its responsiveness to 1,25-(OH)2D3 in transactivation assays. Computer analysis identified a putative VDRE between -3296/-3282 containing the direct repeat motif GGTTCA ccg GGTGCA that is 92% identical with the rat 24-hydroxylase distal VDRE. In EMSAs, the vitamin D receptor (VDR) showed strong binding to the putative IGFBP-3 VDRE in the presence of 1,25-(OH)2D3. Supershift assays confirmed the presence of VDR in the IGFBP-3 VDRE complex. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that 1,25-(OH)2D3 recruited the VDR/retinoid X receptor heterodimer to the VDRE site in the natural IGFBP-3 promoter in intact cells. In transactivation assays, the putative VDRE coupled to a heterologous simian virus 40 promoter construct was induced 2-fold by 1,25-(OH)2D3. Mutations in the VDRE resulted in a loss of inducibility confirming the critical hexameric sequence. In conclusion, we have identified a functional VDRE in the distal region of the human IGFBP-3 promoter. The induction of IGFBP-3 by 1,25-(OH)2D3 appears to be directly mediated via VDR interaction with this VDRE.     

Analysis of the 5-lipoxygenase promoter and characterization of a vitamin D receptor binding site

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25(OH)(2)D(3)) and transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) potently induce 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) in myeloid cells. We analyzed vitamin D receptor (VDR) binding to putative vitamin D response elements within the 5-LO promoter and analyzed its function by reporter gene analysis. Binding of VDR and retinoid X receptor to the promoter region was shown in DNase I footprinting, electrophoretic mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. However, the identified VDR binding region did not mediate induction of reporter gene activity by 1,25(OH)(2)D(3)/TGFbeta, neither in the 5-LO promoter context nor with the thymidine kinase (tk) promoter. Insertion of the rat atrial natriuretic factor VDRE in reporter plasmids containing the 5-LO promoter diminished induction by 1,25(OH)(2)D(3)/TGFbeta as compared with the tk promoter. Similarly, low inductions were obtained when cells were transiently or stably transfected with constructs containing various 5-LO promoter regions. Concerning basal promoter activity, we identified a positive regulatory region (-779 to -229), which includes the VDR binding region, in 5-LO-positive MonoMac6 cells. In summary, the VDR/RXR complex binds to putative VDREs in the 5-LO promoter, but other sequences outside the 5-LO promoter seem to be responsible or additionally required for the prominent induction of 5-LO mRNA expression by 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) and TGFbeta.     

Direct regulation of HOXA10 by 1,25-(OH)2D3 in human myelomonocytic cells and human endometrial stromal cells

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) and the functionally active form of its ligand, 1,25-(OH)2D3, have been implicated in female reproduction function and myeloid leukemic cell differentiation. HOXA10 is necessary for embryo implantation and fertility, as well as hematopoeitic development. In this study, we identified a direct role of vitamin D in the regulation of HOXA10 in primary human endometrial stromal cells, the human endometrial stromal cell line (HESC), and in the human myelomonocytic cell line, U937. Treatment of primary endometrial stromal cells, or the cell lines HESC and U937 with 1,25-(OH)2D3 increased HOXA10 mRNA and protein expression. VDR mRNA and protein were detected in primary uterine stromal cells as well as HESC and U937 cells. We cloned the HOXA10 upstream regulatory sequence and two putative vitamin D response elements (VDRE) into luciferase reporter constructs and transfected primary stromal cells and HESC. One putative VDRE (P1: -385 to -434 bp upstream of HOXA10) drove reporter gene expression in response to treatment with 1,25-(OH)2D3. In EMSA, VDR demonstrated binding to the HOXA10 VDRE in the presence of 1,25-(OH)2D3. 1,25-(OH)2D3 up-regulates HOXA10 expression by binding VDR and interacting with a VDRE in the HOXA10 regulatory region. Direct regulation of HOXA10 by vitamin D has implications for fertility and myeloid differentiation.     

Gene structure and regulation of the murine epithelial calcium channels ECaC1 and 2.

The recently discovered epithelial calcium channels ECaC1 and ECaC2 are thought to play an important role in active calcium absorption in the intestine and kidney. Vitamin D-responsive elements (VDRE) were detected in the promoter sequence of human ECaC1 and regulation of ECaC by the steroid hormone 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25-(OH)(2)D(3)) has been postulated. In this study we describe the structure of two murine ECaCs genes, each consisting of 15 exons localized on chromosome 6. Murine ECaC2 expression was found in many target tissues of 1,25-(OH)(2)D(3), including skin and osteoblastic cells, while ECaC1 expression is confined to the kidney. By screening the murine promoter sequences, we detected a putative VDRE in ECaC1 and an estrogen response element in ECaC2. However, experiments in mice with a mutant, nonfunctioning vitamin D receptor showed that expression of ECaC1 in the kidney and of ECaC2 in duodenum is regulated by calcium levels, but not by 1,25-(OH)(2)D(3). Also, estrogen-deficient ovariectomized (OVX) mice and OVX mice supplemented with estradiol showed unchanged duodenal ECaC2 expression compared with control mice. We conclude that ECaC expression in the kidney and the intestine is regulated by extracellular calcium but not by vitamin D or estrogen in vivo in mice.