Down-Regulation by Nuclear Factor κB of Human 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 1α-Hydroxylase Promoter

• DOI: 10.1210/me.2002-0441
• Publication Date: 2004-07-09T00:25:06Z
• Authors: Regina Ebert; Marlena Jovanovic; Matthias Ulmer; Doris Schneider; Jutta Meissner-Weigl; Jerzy Adamski; Franz Jakob
• Keywords: 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 1-alpha-Hydroxylase; Inflammation; 0301 basic medicine; Base Sequence; NF-kappa B; Transfection; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; Recombinant Proteins; Cell Line; 03 medical and health sciences; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; Humans; Osteoporosis; Cloning, Molecular; Promoter Regions, Genetic; DNA Primers; Sequence Deletion

1,25-(OH)(2) vitamin D(3) is important for calcium homeostasis and cell differentiation. The key enzyme for the activation of liver-derived 25(OH) vitamin D(3) is 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) 1alpha-hydroxylase. It is expressed mainly in the kidney but also in peripheral tissues. A 1413-bp fragment of the 1alpha-hydroxylase promoter was cloned into luciferase vectors pGL2basic and pGL3basic. Sequence analyses revealed four base exchanges and three base deletions compared with the published sequence which were identically found in five control persons. In silico promoter analyses revealed 17 putative nuclear factor (NF)kappaB sites, 10 of which were found to bind NFkappaB in EMSA experiments. Cotransfection of NFkappaB p50 and p65 subunits resulted in dramatic reduction of the promoter activity of the full-length construct as well as a series of 5'-deletion constructs. Deletion of the farmost 3'-situated NFkappaB-responsive element almost abolished NFkappaB responsiveness. Treatment of human embryonic kidney 293 cells with sulfasalazine, a NFkappaB inhibitor, resulted in enhanced 1alpha-hydroxylase mRNA production. Down-regulation of 1alpha-hydroxylase promoter through NFkappaB signaling may contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammation-associated osteopenia/osteoporosis.