Vitamin D3 is a steroid hormone well known by its role in maintaining calcium homeostasis, however this hormone may also participate in other biological functions, including control of reproductive processes. The vitamin D3 action is mediated by the vitamin D3 receptor (VDR). VDR is widely distributed in the rodent reproductive tract, however the occurrence of VDR and the role of the vitamin D3...

Vitamin D and vitamin D receptor (VDR) deficiency results in severe symptoms of experimental inflammatory bowel disease in several different models. The intraepithelial lymphocytes of the small intestine contain large numbers of CD8αα(+) T cells that have been shown to suppress the immune response to Ags found there. In this study, we determined the role of the VDR in the development of CD8αα(+...

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfotransferase (SULT2A1) is a cytosolic enzyme that mediates sulfo-conjugation of endogenous hydroxysteroids (dehydroepiandrosterone, testosterone, bile acids), and diverse xenobiotic compounds. Upon sulfonation, SULT2A1 substrates become polar and water-soluble and thus suitable for rapid excretion. SULT2A1 is abundantly expressed in the liver and intestine. Recent evi...

Polymorphisms of the vitamin D receptor gene (VDR) have been associated inconsistently with various diseases, across populations of diverse origin. The T(f) allele of the functional SNP FokI, in exon 2 of VDR, results in a longer vitamin D receptor protein (VDR) isoform, proposed to be less active. Genetic association of VDR with disease is likely confounded by ethnicity and environmental facto...

The vitamin D receptor (VDR) mediates the physiological and pharmacological actions of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) in bone and calcium metabolism, cellular growth and differentiation, and immunity. VDR also responds to secondary bile acids and belongs to the NR1I subfamily of the nuclear receptor superfamily, which regulates expression of xenobiotic metabolism genes. When compared to knockout m...

PURPOSE We previously showed that EGF receptor (EGFR) promotes tumorigenesis in the azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium (AOM/DSS) model, whereas vitamin D suppresses tumorigenesis. EGFR-vitamin D receptor (VDR) interactions, however, are incompletely understood. Vitamin D inhibits the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), whereas RAS can activate EGFR. We aimed to elucidate EGFR-VDR cross-talk in col...

The human vitamin D receptor (VDR) is a key nuclear receptor that binds nutritionally derived ligands and exerts bioeffects that contribute to bone mineral homeostasis, detoxification of exogenous and endogenous compounds, cancer prevention, and mammalian hair cycling. Liganded VDR modulates gene expression via heterodimerization with the retinoid X receptor and recruitment of coactivators or c...

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) controls the expression of numerous genes through the conformational change caused by binding 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. Helix 12 in the ligand-binding domain (LBD) is key to regulating VDR activation. The structures of apo VDR-LBD and the VDR-LBD/antagonist complex are unclear. Here, we reveal their unprecedented structures in solution using a hybrid method combining s...

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is present in multiple blood cells, and the hormonal form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25D) is essential for the proper functioning of the immune system. The role of retinoic acid receptor α (RARα) in hematopoiesis is very important, as the fusion of RARα gene with PML gene initiates acute promyelocytic leukemia where differentiation of the myeloid lineage i...

1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1,25(OH)(2)D(3)] and the vitamin D receptor (VDR) are important regulators of autoimmunity. The effect of the VDR on the ability of mice to fight a primary or secondary infection has not been determined. Young and old VDR knockout (KO) mice were able to clear both primary and secondary infections with Listeria monocytogenes. However, the kinetics of clearance was som...