Regulation of target gene expression by the vitamin D receptor - an update on mechanisms

Virtually all of the known biological actions of the hormonal ligand 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) are mediated by the vitamin D receptor (VDR). Following binding and activation by the ligand, the VDR localizes in the nucleus to the regulatory regions of target genes and recruits chromatin-active coregulatory complexes which, in turn, modulate transcriptional output. The failure of the VDR to function due to crippling mutations results in total hereditary resistance to 1,25(OH)2D3 in both mice and humans. In this review, we summarize the structural and functional properties of the VDR and the role of 1,25(OH)2D3 in receptor activation, and then describe the results of recent studies using genome-wide analyses that define the overarching principles through which the VDR modulates genes expression. We also focus on the recent analysis of a specific 1,25(OH)2D3 regulated gene that provides confirmation of the principles identified through these genome-wide methodologies. Taken together, these studies suggest an unanticipated increase in the complexity of the molecular processes that govern gene regulation by hormones and other factors.