Nirupama K. Shevde

Distinct molecular mechanism for initiating TRAF6 signalling.

Tumour-necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) is the only TRAF family member that participates in signal transduction of both the TNF receptor (TNFR) superfamily and the interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R)/Toll-like receptor (TLR) superfamily; it is important for adaptive immunity, innate immunity and bone homeostasis. Here we report crystal structures of TRAF6, alone and in complex with TRAF6-binding peptides from CD40 and TRANCE-R (also known as RANK), members of the TNFR superfamily, to gain insight into the mechanism by which TRAF6 mediates several signalling cascades. A 40° difference in the directions of the bound peptides in TRAF6 and TRAF2 shows that there are marked structural differences between receptor recognition by TRAF6 and other TRAFs. The structural determinant of the petide–TRAF6 interaction reveals a Pro-X-Glu-X-X-(aromatic/acidic residue) TRAF6-binding motif, which is present not only in CD40 and TRANCE-R but also in the three IRAK adapter kinases for IL-1R/TLR signalling. Cell-permeable peptides with the TRAF6-binding motif inhibit TRAF6 signalling, which indicates their potential as therapeutic modulators. Our studies identify a universal mechanism by which TRAF6 regulates several signalling cascades in adaptive immunity, innate immunity and bone homeostasis.

A potent analog of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 selectively induces bone formation

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] is a principal regulator of calcium and phosphorus homeostasis through actions on intestine, kidney, and bone. 1,25(OH)2D3 is not considered to play a significant role in bone formation, except for its role in supporting mineralization. We report here on the properties of 2-methylene-19-nor-(20S)-1α,25(OH)2D3 (2MD), a highly potent analog of 1,25(OH)2D3 that induces bone formation both in vitro and in vivo. Selectivity for bone was first demonstrated through the observation that 2MD is at least 30-fold more effective than 1,25(OH)2D3 in stimulating osteoblast-mediated bone calcium mobilization while being only slightly more potent in supporting intestinal calcium transport. 2MD is also highly potent in promoting osteoblast-mediated osteoclast formation in vitro, a process essential to both bone resorption and formation. Most significantly, 2MD at concentrations as low as 10−12 M causes primary cultures of osteoblasts to produce bone in vitro. This effect is not found with 1,25(OH)2D3 even at 10−8 M, suggesting that 2MD might be osteogenic in vivo. Indeed, 2MD (7 pmol/day) causes a substantial increase (9%) in total body bone mass in ovariectomized rats over a 23-week period. 1,25(OH)2D3 (500 pmol three times a week) only prevented the bone loss associated with ovariectomy and did not increase bone mass. These results indicate that 2MD is a potent bone-selective analog of 1,25(OH)2D3 potentially effective in treating bone loss diseases.

Activation of Receptor Activator of NF-κB Ligand Gene Expression by 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Is Mediated through Multiple Long-Range Enhancers

ABSTRACT RANKL is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-like factor secreted by mesenchymal cells, osteoblast derivatives, and T cells that is essential for osteoclastogenesis. In osteoblasts, RANKL expression is regulated by two major calcemic hormones, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] and parathyroid hormone (PTH), as well as by several inflammatory/osteoclastogenic cytokines; the molecular mechanisms for this regulation are unclear. To identify such mechanisms, we screened a DNA microarray which tiled across the entire mouse RankL gene locus at a 50-bp resolution using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-derived DNA precipitated with antibodies to the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and the retinoid X receptor (RXR). Five sites of dimer interaction were observed on the RankL gene centered at 16, 22, 60, 69, and 76 kb upstream of the TSS. These regions contained binding sites for not only VDR and RXR, but also the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). The most distant of these regions, termed the distal control region (RL-DCR), conferred both VDR-dependent 1,25(OH)2D3 and GR-dependent glucocorticoid (GC) responses. We mapped these activities to an unusual but functionally active vitamin D response element and to several potential GC response elements located over a more extensive region within the RL-DCR. An evolutionarily conserved region within the human RANKL gene contained a similar vitamin D response element and exhibited an equivalent behavior. Importantly, hormonal activation of the RankL gene was also associated with chromatin modification and RNA polymerase II recruitment. Our studies demonstrate that regulation of RankL gene expression by 1,25(OH)2D3 is complex and mediated by at least five distal regions, one of which contains a specific element capable of mediating direct transcriptional activation.

1,25‐Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Stimulates Cyclic Vitamin D Receptor/Retinoid X Receptor DNA‐Binding, Co‐activator Recruitment, and Histone Acetylation in Intact Osteoblasts

1,25(OH)2D3 induces gene expression through the VDR. We used chromatin immunoprecipitation techniques to explore this 1,25(OH)2D3‐induced process on the 25‐hydroxyvitamin D3‐24‐hydroxylase (Cyp24) and Opn gene promoters in intact osteoblasts. Our studies show that 1,25(OH)2D3‐induced transactivation is a dynamic process that involves promoter‐specific localization of VDR and RXR, recruitment of histone acetyltransferase complexes, and in the case of the Cyp24 gene, modification of histone 4.

Vitamin D-binding protein influences total circulating levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 but does not directly modulate the bioactive levels of the hormone in vivo.

Mice deficient in the expression of vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) are normocalcemic despite undetectable levels of circulating 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1,25(OH)(2)D(3)]. We used this in vivo mouse model together with cells in culture to explore the impact of DBP on the biological activity of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3). Modest changes in the basal expression of genes involved in 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) metabolism and calcium homeostasis were observed in vivo; however, these changes seemed unlikely to explain the normal calcium balance seen in DBP-null mice. Further investigation revealed that despite the reduced blood levels of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) in these mice, tissue concentrations were equivalent to those measured in wild-type counterparts. Thus, the presence of DBP has limited impact on the extracellular pool of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) that is biologically active and that accumulates within target tissues. In cell culture, in contrast, the biological activity of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) is significantly impacted by DBP. Here, although DBP deficiency had no effect on the activation profile itself, the absence of DBP strongly reduced the concentration of exogenous 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) necessary for transactivation. Surprisingly, analogous studies in wild-type and DBP-null mice, wherein we explored the activity of exogenous 1,25(OH)(2)D(3), produced strikingly different results as compared with those in vitro. Here, the carrier protein had virtually no impact on the distribution, uptake, activation profile, or biological potency of the hormone. Collectively, these experiments suggest that whereas DBP is important to total circulating 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) and sequesters extracellular levels of this hormone both in vivo and in vitro, the binding protein does not influence the hormones biologically active pool.

PERSPECTIVES ON MECHANISMS OF GENE REGULATION BY 1,25-DIHYDROXYVITAMIN D3 AND ITS RECEPTOR

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25(OH)(2)D(3)) functions as a systemic signal in vertebrate organisms to control the expression of genes whose products are vital to the maintenance of calcium and phosphorus homeostasis. This regulatory capability is mediated by the vitamin D receptor (VDR) which localizes at DNA sites adjacent to the promoter regions of target genes and initiates the complex events necessary for transcriptional modulation. Recent investigations using chromatin immunoprecipitation techniques combined with various gene scanning methodologies have revealed new insights into the location, structure and function of these regulatory regions. In the studies reported here, we utilized the above techniques to identify key enhancer regions that mediate the actions of vitamin D on the calcium ion channel gene TRPV6, the catabolic bone calcium-mobilizing factor gene RankL and the bone anabolic Wnt signaling pathway co-receptor gene LRP5. We also resolve the mechanism whereby 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) autoregulates the expression of its own receptor. The results identify new features of vitamin D-regulated enhancers, including their locations at gene loci, the structure of the VDR binding sites located within, their modular nature and their functional activity. Our studies suggest that vitamin D enhancers regulate the expression of key target genes by facilitating the recruitment of both the basal transcriptional machinery as well as the protein complexes necessary for altered gene expression.

Retinoid X Receptor Acts as a Hormone Receptor in Vivo to Induce a Key Metabolic Enzyme for 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3

We demonstrate here that RNA levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-24-hydroxylase (24-(OH)ase), a key catabolic enzyme for 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, are increased by a highly selective retinoid X receptor (RXR) ligand, LG100268, in mice within hours. Correspondingly, upon LG100268 treatment, kidney 24-(OH)ase enzymatic activity increases 5-10-fold. The endogenous retinoid hormones, all-trans-retinoic acid and 9-cis-retinoic acid, and the synthetic retinoic acid receptor-selective compound, TTNPB, also stimulate 24-(OH)ase. Additionally, we show that LG100268 stimulates transcription of a luciferase reporter plasmid driven by 24-(OH)ase promoter sequences in the presence of RXR in CV-1 cell cotransactivation assays. This first demonstration of a gene that is regulated in the intact animal through an RXR-mediated pathway confirms earlier hypotheses that RXR is a bona fide hormone receptor. Regulation of a key gene in the vitamin D signaling pathway by a retinoid transducer may provide a molecular basis for some of the documented biological effects of vitamin A on bone and vitamin D metabolism.

MULTIPLE ENHANCER REGIONS LOCATED AT SIGNIFICANT DISTANCES UPSTREAM OF THE TRANSCRIPTIONAL START SITE MEDIATE RANKL GENE EXPRESSION IN RESPONSE TO 1,25-DIHYDROXYVITAMIN D3

One of the primary regulators of receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL) is 1,25-dihydoxyvitamin D(3) (1,25(OH)(2)D(3)). To elucidate the mechanism whereby 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) activates RANKL expression we screened some 300kb of the RANKL gene locus using a ChIP on chip analysis and identified five potential regulatory regions lying significant distances upstream of the transcription start site (TSS), the farthest over 70kb from the TSS. A direct ChIP analysis confirmed the presence of the VDR/RXR heterodimer at these sites. The binding of the VDR was associated with histone modification and enhanced entry of RNA polymerase II, indicating an important functional consequence to the localization of these transcription factors in response to 1,25(OH)(2)D(3). The region -76kb upstream from the TSS, termed D5, was capable of mediating VDR-dependent transcriptional output in response to 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) in luciferase assays. The identified VDRE in this region was able to confer dramatic 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) sensitivity to heterologous promoters. This region was highly evolutionarily conserved and functionally active in the human RANKL gene as well. We propose that the RANKL gene is regulated via multiple enhancers that while located at significant distances from the TSS, likely form a chromatin hub centered on the RankL promoter.

Inhibition of 1,25‐Dihydroxyvitamin D3‐Dependent Transcription by Synthetic LXXLL Peptide Antagonists that Target the Activation Domains of the Vitamin D and Retinoid X Receptors

The vitamin D receptor (VDR) is known to mediate the biological actions of 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] through its ability to regulate cellular programs of gene expression. Although RXR appears to participate as a heterodimeric partner with the VDR, absolute evidence for its role remains equivocal in vivo. To test this role and to investigate the requirement for comodulator interaction, we identified VDR‐ and retinoid X receptor (RXR)‐interacting LXXLL peptides and examined whether these molecules could block vitamin D and 9‐cis retinoic acid (9‐cis RA) response. We used a mammalian cell two‐hybrid system to screen a series of nuclear receptor (NR)‐reactive LXXLL peptides previously identified through phage display screening for hormone‐dependent reactivity with either VDR or RXR. Three categories of peptides were identified: those reactive with both VDR and RXR, those selective for RXR, and those unreactive to either receptor. Peptide fusion proteins were then examined in MC3T3‐E1 cells for their ability to block induction of the osteocalcin (OC) promoter by 1,25(OH)2D3 or stimulation of a retinoic acid response element‐thymidine kinase (RARE‐TK) reporter by 9‐cis‐RA. Peptides that interacted with both VDR and RXR blocked 1,25(OH)2D3‐dependent transcription by up to 75%. Control LXXLL sequences derived from Src‐1 and Grip also suppressed 1,25(OH)2D3‐induced transactivation; peptides that interacted with RXR blocked 9‐cis‐RA‐induced transcription. Interestingly, two RXR‐interacting peptides were also found to block 1,25(OH)2D3 response effectively. These studies support the idea that comodulator recruitment is essential for VDR‐ and RXR‐mediated gene expression and that RXR is required for 1,25(OH)2D3‐induced OC gene transcription. This approach may represent a novel means of assessing the contribution of RXR in various endogenous biological responses to 1,25(OH)2D3.

Enhancers located in the vitamin D receptor gene mediate transcriptional autoregulation by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.

The regulatory actions of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25(OH)(2)D(3)) on target genes are mediated by the vitamin D receptor (VDR). Interestingly, one of the genomic targets of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) action is the VDR gene itself; however, the mechanism underlying this regulation is unknown. We investigated VDR autoregulation by screening the mouse VDR locus from 20kb upstream of the transcriptional start site (TSS) to 10kb downstream of the last exon using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-DNA microarray analysis (ChIP/chip). Three potential VDR binding sites were located within introns lying downstream of the TSS and their activities confirmed through direct ChIP analysis. Further exploration revealed that one of these intronic regions was capable of conferring 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) response to both a downstream heterologous promoter and the minimal VDR promoter. Importantly, this regulatory region contained a classic vitamin D response element and was highly conserved within the human gene. We also demonstrated using ChIP analysis that the binding of VDR is associated with co-localization of RXR and the enhanced entry of RNA polymerase II. Thus, each of these sites appears likely to contribute to VDR autoregulation. Our studies using ChIP/chip analysis coupled to more traditional approaches define a direct mechanism whereby the VDR gene is upregulated by 1,25(OH)(2)D(3).