Cellular expression levels of the vitamin D receptor are critical to its transcriptional regulation by the pituitary transcription factor Pit-1.
The biological role of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) has generally been related to calcium homeostasis, but this hormone also has fundamental effects on processes of cellular proliferation and differentiation. The genomic actions of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) are mediated by the vitamin D receptor (VDR) present in target cells. However, VDR transcriptional regulation is not well understood, probably attributable to the complexity of the VDR gene and its promoter. In the present study, it is demonstrated that administration of the pituitary transcription factor Pit-1 (originally found in the pituitary gland but also present in other nonpituitary cell types and tissues) to the MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma) cell line induces a significant increase in VDR mRNA and protein levels. Conversely, Pit-1-targeted small interference RNA markedly reduced expression of VDR in MCF-7 cells. Reporter gene assays demonstrated that the effect of Pit-1 is mediated by its binding to a region located between -254 and -246 bp from the VDR transcription start site. Selective mutations of this site completely abolished VDR transcription. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that binding of Pit-1 to the VDR promoter leads additionally to recruitment of cAMP response element-binding protein binding protein, acetylated histone H4, and RNA polymerase II. Surprisingly, Pit-1 binding also recruits VDR protein to the VDR promoter. Using several cell lines with different levels of VDR expression, it was demonstrated that up-regulation of VDR transcription by Pit-1 is dependent on the presence of VDR protein, suggesting that transcriptional expression of VDR in a given cell type is dependent on, among other factors, its own expression levels.
Seoane
Samuel
S
Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Ben
Isabel
I
Centeno
Viviana
V
Perez-Fernandez
Roman
R
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019556:COS Cells; D050882:CREB-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D047369:Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D034622:RNA Interference; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D050817:Transcription Factor Pit-1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D006657:Histones; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D050817:Transcription Factor Pit-1; D050882:CREB-Binding Protein; C494363:CREBBP protein, human; D012319:RNA Polymerase II