Inhibition of vitamin D receptor-retinoid X receptor-vitamin D response element complex formation by nuclear extracts of vitamin D-resistant New World primate cells

Most New World primate (NWP) genera evolved to require high circulating levels of steroid hormones and vitamin D. We hypothesized that an intracellular vitamin D binding protein (IDBP), present in both nuclear and cytoplasmic fractions of NWP cells, or another protein(s) may cause or contribute to the steroid hormone-resistant state in NWP by disruption of the receptor dimerization process and/or by interference of receptor complex binding to the consensus response elements present in the enhancer regions of steroid-responsive genes. We employed electromobility shift assay (EMSA) to screen for the presence of proteins capable of binding to the vitamin D response element (VDRE). Nuclear and post-nuclear extracts were prepared from two B-lymphoblastoid cell lines known to be representative of the vitamin D-resistant and wild type phenotypes, respectively. The extracts were compared for their ability to retard the migration of radiolabeled double stranded oligomers representative of the VDREs of the human osteocalcin and the mouse osteopontin gene promoters. A specific, retarded band containing VDR-RXR was identified when wild type cell but not when vitamin D-resistant cell nuclear extract was used in the binding reaction with either probe. In addition, vitamin D-resistant cell nuclear extract contained a protein(s) which was bound specifically to the VDRE and was capable of completely inhibiting VDR-RXR-VDRE complex formation; these effects were not demonstrated with nuclear extract from the wild type cell line or with the post-nuclear extract of the vitamin D-resistant cell line. We conclude that a VDRE-binding protein(s), distinct from IDBP and present in nuclear extract of cells from a prototypical vitamin D-resistant NWP, is capable of inhibiting normal VDR-RXR heterodimer binding to the VDRE.