The molecular basis of vitamin D signaling implies that the metabolite 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D
(1,25(OH)
D
) of the secosteroid vitamin D
activates the transcription factor vitamin D receptor (VDR), ...which in turn modulates the expression of hundreds of primary vitamin D target genes. Since the evolutionary role of nuclear receptors, such as VDR, was the regulation of cellular metabolism, the control of calcium metabolism became the primary function of vitamin D and its receptor. Moreover, the nearly ubiquitous expression of VDR enabled vitamin D to acquire additional physiological functions, such as the support of the innate immune system in its defense against microbes. Monocytes and their differentiated phenotypes, macrophages and dendritic cells, are key cell types of the innate immune system. Vitamin D signaling was most comprehensively investigated in THP-1 cells, which are an established model of human monocytes. This includes the 1,25(OH)
D
-modulated cistromes of VDR, the pioneer transcription factors PU.1 and CEBPA and the chromatin modifier CTCF as well as of the histone markers of promoter and enhancer regions, H3K4me3 and H3K27ac, respectively. These epigenome-wide datasets led to the development of our chromatin model of vitamin D signaling. This review discusses the mechanistic basis of 189 primary vitamin D target genes identified by transcriptome-wide analysis of 1,25(OH)
D
-stimulated THP-1 cells and relates the epigenomic basis of four different regulatory scenarios to the physiological functions of the respective genes.
Modulation of vitamin D signaling by the pioneer factor CEBPA Nurminen, Veijo; Neme, Antonio; Seuter, Sabine ...
Biochimica et biophysica acta. Gene regulatory mechanisms,
January 2019, 2019-Jan, 2019-01-00, 20190101, Volume:
1862, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
The myeloid master regulator CCAAT enhancer-binding protein alpha (CEBPA) is known as a pioneer factor. In this study, we report the CEBPA cistrome of THP-1 human monocytes after stimulation with the ...vitamin D receptor (VDR) ligand 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) for 2, 8 and 24 h. About a third of the genomic VDR binding sites co-located with those of CEBPA. In parallel, the binding strength of 5% of the CEBPA cistrome, i.e. some 1500 sites, is significantly (p < 0.001) affected by 1,25(OH)2D3. Transcriptome-wide analysis after CEBPA silencing indicated that the pioneer factor enhances both the basal expression and ligand inducibility of 70 vitamin D target genes largely involved in lipid signaling and metabolism. In contrast, CEBPA suppresses 82 vitamin D target genes many of which are related to the modulation of T cell activity by monocytes. The inducibility of the promoter-specific histone marker H3K4me3 distinguishes the former class of genes from the latter. Moreover, prominent occupancy of the myeloid pioneer factor PU.1 on 1,25(OH)2D3-sensitive CEBPA enhancers mechanistically explains the dichotomy of vitamin D target genes. In conclusion, CEBPA supports vitamin D signaling concerning actions of the innate immune system, but uses the antagonism with PU.1 for suppressing possible overreactions of adaptive immunity.
•PU.1 binding to vitamin D-sensitive CEBPA enhancers explains a dichotomy of vitamin D target genes.•CEBPA supports vitamin D signaling concerning the function of the innate immune system.•CEBPA uses the antagonism with PU.1 for suppressing possible overreactions of adaptive immunity.
The transcription factor vitamin D receptor (VDR) is the high affinity nuclear target of the biologically active form of vitamin D
(1,25(OH)
D
). In order to identify pure genomic transcriptional ...effects of 1,25(OH)
D
, we used VDR cistrome, transcriptome and open chromatin data, obtained from the human monocytic cell line THP-1, for a novel hierarchical analysis applying three bioinformatics approaches. We predicted 75.6% of all early 1,25(OH)
D
-responding (2.5 or 4 h) and 57.4% of the late differentially expressed genes (24 h) to be primary VDR target genes. VDR knockout led to a complete loss of 1,25(OH)
D
-induced genome-wide gene regulation. Thus, there was no indication of any VDR-independent non-genomic actions of 1,25(OH)
D
modulating its transcriptional response. Among the predicted primary VDR target genes, 47 were coding for transcription factors and thus may mediate secondary 1,25(OH)
D
responses. CEBPA and ETS1 ChIP-seq data and RNA-seq following CEBPA knockdown were used to validate the predicted regulation of secondary vitamin D target genes by both transcription factors. In conclusion, a directional network containing 47 partly novel primary VDR target transcription factors describes secondary responses in a highly complex vitamin D signaling cascade. The central transcription factor VDR is indispensable for all transcriptome-wide effects of the nuclear hormone.
•In human PBMCs 702 genes are significantly (p < 005) affected by a vitamin D3 bolus.•These genes are involved in general protein translation, monocyte differentiation and cellular growth ...control.•The expression pattern of vitamin D target genes differed significantly between individuals.
In the vitamin D intervention study VitDbol (NCT02063334) blood samples were drawn directly before an oral bolus (2000 μg vitamin D3) and 24 h later. The focus of phase II of VitDbol was the transcriptome-wide analysis of the effects of vitamin D gene expression in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). All five participants responded in an individual fashion to the bolus by increases in serum levels of the vitamin D metabolites 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) and 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3). RNA sequencing identified 15.040 commonly expressed genes in PBMCs, 702 (4,7%) of which were significantly (p < 0,05) affected by the vitamin D3 bolus. KEGG pathway analysis suggested that these genes are involved in general protein translation, monocyte differentiation and cellular growth control. Previously published transcriptome-wide studies in comparable cell systems confirmed 234 of the 702 vitamin D target genes, leaving many genes, such as HLA-A and HLA-C, as novel discoveries. Interestingly, in vivo stimulated PBMCs of this study showed a larger number of common vitamin D target genes with the monocytic cell line THP-1 than with in vitro stimulated PBMCs. The expression pattern of vitamin D target genes differed significantly between individuals and the average expression change can serve as a marker for vitamin D responsiveness. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that under in vivo conditions changes in 25(OH)D3 and 1,25(OH)2D3 serum concentrations alter the expression of more than 700 vitamin D target genes in human leukocytes.
The vitamin D receptor (VDR) is a ligand-inducible transcription factor whose target genes play key roles in cellular metabolism, bone formation, cellular growth, differentiation and in controlling ...inflammation. Many of these VDR target genes are also involved in dysregulated pathways leading to common human diseases, such as cancer. The activation of VDR by natural and synthetic ligands may improve such pathological conditions. On a genomic level, these pathways converge on regulatory modules, some of which contain VDR-binding sites, so-called vitamin D response elements (VDREs). Transcriptome analysis, chromatin immunoprecipitation scans and in silico screening approaches have already identified many genomic targets of the VDR. Important cancer regulatory modules with VDREs should have a major impact on understanding the role and potential therapeutic value of VDR in cancer.
The vitamin D receptor (VDR) is a transcription factor that mediates the genomic effects of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3). Genome-wide there are several thousand binding sites and hundreds ...of primary 1,25(OH)2D3 target genes, but their functional relation is largely elusive. In this study, we used ChIA-PET data of the transcription factor CTCF in combination with VDR ChIP-seq data, in order to map chromatin domains containing VDR binding sites. In total, we found 1,599 such VDR containing chromatin domains and studied in THP-1 human monocytic leukemia cells four representatives of them. Our combined ChIP-seq and FAIRE-seq time course data showed that each of these four domains contained a master VDR binding site, where an increase of VDR binding pairs with 1,25(OH)2D3-promoted chromatin opening and the presence of a highly significant DR3-type sequence below the peak summit. These sites differed in their relative VDR binding but not in their kinetics, while other loci either had a weaker and delayed VDR association or could not be confirmed at all. All studied chromatin domains contained at least one primary 1,25(OH)2D3 target gene demonstrating a characteristic slope of mRNA increase, while neighboring genes responded delayed, if at all. In conclusion, the observation of ligand-inducible VDR binding and chromatin opening combined with a DR3-type sequence highlighted genome-wide 160 VDR loci that have within their chromatin domain a more than 4-fold increased likelihood to identify a primary 1,25(OH)2D3 target gene than in the vicinity of other genomic VDR binding sites.
Ligand-regulated nuclear receptors, such as estrogen receptors, glucocorticoid receptor, vitamin D receptor, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, belong to the most widely studied and ...best understood transcription factors. Therefore, the dynamic nature of transcriptional regulation was observed first with different members of the nuclear receptor superfamily, but is now also extended to other transcription factors, such as nuclear factor κB. Dynamic and in part cyclical processes were observed on the level of translocation into the nucleus, association with genomic binding sites, exchange of co-regulators and chromatin modifiers, occurrence of chromatin marks, and activities of RNA polymerase II resulting in mRNA synthesis. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the dynamic regulation of nuclear receptor target genes in the chromatin context.
Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with an increased risk of developing a number of diseases. Here we investigated samples from 71 pre-diabetic individuals of the VitDmet study, a 5-month high ...dose vitamin D3 intervention trial during Finnish winter, for their changes in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) concentrations and the expression of primary vitamin D target genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and adipose tissue. A negative correlation between serum concentrations of parathyroid hormone and 25(OH)D3 suggested an overall normal physiological vitamin D response among the participants. The genes CD14 and thrombomodulin (THBD) are up-regulated primary vitamin D targets and showed to be suitable gene expression markers for vitamin D signaling in both primary tissues. However, in a ranking of the samples concerning their expected response to vitamin D only the top half showed a positive correlation between the changes of CD14 or THBD mRNA and serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations. Interestingly, this categorization allows unmasking a negative correlation between changes in serum concentrations of 25(OH)D3 and the inflammation marker interleukin 6. We propose the genes CD14 and THBD as transcriptomic biomarkers, from which the effects of a vitamin D3 supplementation can be evaluated. These biomarkers allow the classification of subjects into those, who might benefit from a vitamin D3 supplementation, and others who do not.
Vitamin D3 has transcriptome- and genome-wide effects and activates, via the binding of its metabolite 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 to the transcription factor vitamin D receptor (VDR), several hundred ...target genes. Using samples from a 5-month vitamin D3 intervention study (VitDmet), we recently reported that the expression of 12 VDR target genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) as well as 12 biochemical and clinical parameters of the study participants are significantly triggered by vitamin D3. In this study, we performed a more focused selection of further 12 VDR target genes and demonstrated that changes of their mRNA expression in PBMCs of VitDmet subjects significantly correlate with alterations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 serum levels. Network and self-organizing map analysis of these datasets together with that of the other 24 parameters was followed by relevance calculations and identified changes in parathyroid hormone serum levels and the expression of the newly selected genes STS, BCL6, ITGAM, LRRC25, LPGAT1 and TREM1 as well as of the previously reported genes DUSP10 and CD14 as the most relevant parameters for describing vitamin D responsiveness in vivo. Moreover, parameter relevance ranking allowed the segregation of study subjects into high and low responders. Due to the long intervention period the vitamin D response was not too prominent on the level of transcriptional activation. Therefore, we performed in the separate VitDbol trial a short-term but high dose stimulation with a vitamin D3 bolus. In PBMCs of VitDbol subjects we observed direct transcriptional effects on the selected VDR target genes, such as an up to 2.1-fold increase already one day after supplementation onset. In conclusion, both long-term and short-term vitamin D3 supplementation studies allow monitoring the vitamin D responsiveness of human individuals and represent new types of human in vivo vitamin D3 investigations.
▸ Genome-wide ChIP-seq data can predict ligand responsiveness of VDR target genes. ▸ FAIRE-seq time course data allow monitoring of dynamic chromatin opening. ▸ The BHLHE40 gene is a dynamically ...controlled VDR target gene with a short mRNA half-life of 0.9h.
The basic helix-loop-helix protein BHLHE40 functions as a transcriptional repressor and is involved in the control of cellular growth, development and circadian rhythms. By the use of genome-wide data on vitamin D receptor (VDR) location, open chromatin and histone modification backed-up by gene-specific mRNA expression studies we show that the human BHLHE40 gene is dynamically up-regulated by the VDR ligand 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1α,25(OH)2D3) and down-regulated by the histone deactylase inhibitor trichostatin A. The VDR binding site is located 1.7kb upstream of the transcription start site of the BHLHE40 gene and the chromatin at this genomic site is significantly opened by treatment with 1α,25(OH)2D3. The stair case style fluctuations in the BHLHE40 mRNA accumulation relate to the short half-life of the gene's mRNA of 0.9h. The identification of the widely expressed BHLHE40 gene as a primary VDR target may explain secondary effects of 1α,25(OH)2D3 on BHLHE40 responding genes.
This article is part of a Special Issue entitled ‘Vitamin D Workshop’.
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