Characterization of genomic vitamin D receptor binding sites through chromatin looping and opening

PLoS One. 2014 Apr 24;9(4):e96184. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096184. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Binding Sites
  • CCCTC-Binding Factor
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Chromatin / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Calcitriol / metabolism*
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • CCCTC-Binding Factor
  • CTCF protein, human
  • Chromatin
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Receptors, Calcitriol
  • Repressor Proteins
  • VDR protein, human

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Academy of Finland (grant no. 267067 to CC) and the Juselius Foundation. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.