Inoue Yusuke, Yu Ai-Ming, Yim Sun Hee, Ma Xiaochao, Krausz Kristopher W, Inoue Junko, Xiang Charlie C, Brownstein Michael J, Eggertsen Gösta, Björkhem Ingemar, Gonzalez Frank J
Laboratory of Metabolism, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
J Lipid Res. 2006 Jan;47(1):215-27. doi: 10.1194/jlr.M500430-JLR200. Epub 2005 Nov 1.
Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha (HNF4alpha) regulates many genes that are preferentially expressed in liver. Mice lacking hepatic expression of HNF4alpha (HNF4alphaDeltaL) exhibited markedly increased levels of serum bile acids (BAs) compared with HNF4alpha-floxed (HNF4alphaF/F) mice. The expression of genes involved in the hydroxylation and side chain beta-oxidation of cholesterol, including oxysterol 7alpha-hydroxylase, sterol 12alpha-hydroxylase (CYP8B1), and sterol carrier protein x, was markedly decreased in HNF4alphaDeltaL mice. Cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase mRNA and protein were diminished only during the dark cycle in HNF4alphaDeltaL mice, whereas expression in the light cycle was not different between HNF4alphaDeltaL and HNF4alphaF/F mice. Because CYP8B1 expression was reduced in HNF4alphaDeltaL mice, it was studied in more detail. In agreement with the mRNA levels, CYP8B1 enzyme activity was absent in HNF4alphaDeltaL mice. An HNF4alpha binding site was found in the mouse Cyp8b1 promoter that was able to direct HNF4alpha-dependent transcription. Surprisingly, cholic acid-derived BAs, produced as a result of CYP8B1 activity, were still observed in the serum and gallbladder of these mice. These studies reveal that HNF4alpha plays a central role in BA homeostasis by regulation of genes involved in BA biosynthesis, including hydroxylation and side chain beta-oxidation of cholesterol in vivo.
肝细胞核因子4α(HNF4α)调控许多在肝脏中优先表达的基因。与HNF4α基因敲除(HNF4αF/F)小鼠相比,缺乏肝脏HNF4α表达(HNF4αDeltaL)的小鼠血清胆汁酸(BAs)水平显著升高。参与胆固醇羟基化和侧链β-氧化的基因表达,包括氧化固醇7α-羟化酶、固醇12α-羟化酶(CYP8B1)和固醇载体蛋白x,在HNF4αDeltaL小鼠中显著降低。胆固醇7α-羟化酶的mRNA和蛋白仅在HNF4αDeltaL小鼠的黑暗周期中减少,而在光照周期中,HNF4αDeltaL和HNF4αF/F小鼠之间的表达没有差异。由于HNF4αDeltaL小鼠中CYP8B1表达降低,因此对其进行了更详细的研究。与mRNA水平一致,HNF4αDeltaL小鼠中不存在CYP8B1酶活性。在小鼠Cyp8b1启动子中发现了一个HNF4α结合位点,该位点能够指导HNF4α依赖的转录。令人惊讶的是,在这些小鼠的血清和胆囊中仍观察到由CYP8B1活性产生的胆酸衍生的胆汁酸。这些研究表明,HNF4α通过调控参与胆汁酸生物合成的基因,包括体内胆固醇的羟基化和侧链β-氧化,在胆汁酸稳态中发挥核心作用。