Hormonal regulation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-1alpha-hydroxylase and 24-hydroxylase gene transcription in opossum kidney cells.

In the kidney, 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) (25(OH)D) is converted to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25(OH)(2)D) by the 25(OH)D(3)-1alpha-hydroxylase enzyme, which contains a terminal cytochrome P450 (CYP1alpha) (systematic name: CYP27B1). Likewise, the kidney also produces 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) and 1,24,25-trihydroxyvitamin D(3) via a 24-hydroxylase whose terminal cytochrome P450 is CYP24. The purpose of this study was to characterize the transcriptional regulation of the CYP1alpha and CYP24 genes by parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 1,25(OH)(2)D in the kidney. Promoter-reporter gene constructs were transfected into opossum kidney (OK) cells, a renal proximal tubular cell line with endogenous PTH and 1,25(OH)(2)D receptors. PTH and forskolin stimulated CYP1alpha promoter activity via a cAMP-dependent pathway acting through the phosphorylation of CREB (cAMP-dependent response element-binding protein). This stimulation did not require new protein synthesis but may be modulated by short-lived proteins. 1,25(OH)(2)D modestly inhibited basal and forskolin-stimulated CYP1alpha promoter activity. The stimulation of CYP1alpha promoter activity by PTH and forskolin can account for the effect of these hormones on renal CYP1alpha mRNA levels. CYP24 promoter activity in transfected cells was increased by both 1,25(OH)(2)D and PTH, but there was no interaction between the two. The modest effects of 1,25(OH)(2)D and PTH on promoter activity and their lack of interaction do not account for the effects of these hormones on renal CYP24 mRNA levels. This suggests that there may be important posttranscriptional regulation of CYP24 mRNA in the kidney.