title: The function of vitamin D receptor in vitamin D action.
abstract: Vitamin D has roles in a variety of biological actions such as calcium homeostasis, cell proliferation and cell differentiation to many target tissues. Most of these biological actions of vitamin D are now considered to be exerted through the nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR)-mediated control of target genes. VDR belongs to the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily and acts as a ligand-inducible transcription factor. For the ligand-induced transactivation of VDR, coactivator complexes have recently been shown to be essential. The function of VDR as a ligand-induced transcription factor is overviewed, and the phenotype of VDR gene knock-out mice and the VDR-mediated transcriptional and negative regulation of the key enzyme in vitamin D biosynthesis are also described, based mainly on our recent findings, to gain a better understanding of the function of VDR in the transcriptional control of vitamin D target genes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi-cho, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan. uskato@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D015090:25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 1-alpha-Hydroxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012279:Rickets / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D014807:Vitamin D; D015090:25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 1-alpha-Hydroxylase