Association of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 with cultured 3T6 mouse fibroblasts. Cellular uptake and receptor-mediated migration to the nucleus.

The uptake of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) by intact cells was investigated using the cultured embryonic 3T6 mouse fibroblast as a model. Suspended cells, incubated for 60-90 min in serum-containing culture medium supplemented with 1,25-(OH)2D3 (2 nM), maximally accumulate hormone which becomes bound to a typical vitamin D 3.3 S receptor protein. Incubation of cells with varying concentrations of 1,25-(OH)2D3 reveals the presence of 21,000 receptor molecules/3T6 cell, with an apparent uptake constant of 6-8 X 10(-10) M at 37 degrees C. This value contrasts with the equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) for 1,25-(OH)2D3 binding of 6 X 10(-11) M as determined at 2 degrees C in disrupted cell cytosol. The distribution of unoccupied (R0) receptors is predominantly (greater than 85%) cytosolic in the hormone-deprived state (1,25-(OH)2D3 less than 0.05 nM), whereas exposure to 1,25-(OH)2D3 (2 nM) leads to almost complete nuclear localization of the occupied receptor at both 2 and 37 degrees C. This phenomenon was similarly supported through reconstitution of receptor and purified 3T6 nuclei in vitro in which binding also occurs at 2 degrees C. The majority (65%) of intact cell-formed receptor-nuclear complexes can be solubilized by micrococcal nuclease treatment, suggesting the participation of DNA in the acceptor binding site for the 1,25-(OH)2D3 receptor. Consistent with these data, DNA-binding of receptor also occurred in vitro at 2 degrees C and was a characteristic of both occupied (Rs) and unoccupied receptors. However, elution of the latter occurred at reduced ionic strength, implying that the hormone does physically alter the receptor protein. This binding was also sensitive to prior ethidium bromide saturation of DNA-cellulose, but not phosphocellulose. Although the biologic effects of the 1,25-(OH)2D3 hormone in 3T6 fibroblasts are as yet unknown, the present findings support previous work with 1,25-(OH)2D3 receptors and suggest that this cell represents a good model for the study of nuclear events associated with the molecular action of 1,25-(OH)2D3.