The vitamin D receptor (VDR) is a nuclear, ligand-dependent transcription factor that in complex with hormonally active vitamin D, 1,25(OH)2D3, regulates the expression of more than 900 genes involved in a wide array of physiological functions. The impact of 1,25(OH)2D3-VDR signaling on immune function has been the focus of many recent studies as a link between 1,25(OH)2D3 and susceptibility to various infections and to development of a variety of inflammatory diseases has been suggested. It is also becoming increasingly clear that microbes slow down immune reactivity by dysregulating the VDR ultimately to increase their chance of survival. Immune modulatory therapies that enhance VDR expression and activity are therefore considered in the clinic today to a greater extent. As T cells are of great importance for both protective immunity and development of inflammatory diseases a variety of studies have been engaged investigating the impact of VDR expression in T cells and found that VDR expression and activity plays an important role in both T cell development, differentiation and effector function. In this review we will analyze current knowledge of VDR regulation and function in T cells and discuss its importance for immune activity.

BackgroundIn vitro studies have shown that the active form of vitamin D3, 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3), can regulate differentiation of CD4+ T cells by inhibiting Th1 and Th17 cell differentiation and promoting Th2 and Treg cell differentiation. However, the serum concentration of 1,25(OH)2D3 is far below the effective concentration of 1,25(OH)2D3 found in in vitro studies, and it has been suggested that 1,25(OH)2D3 must be produced locally from the inactive precursor 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) to affect ongoing immune responses in vivo. Although it has been reported that activated T cells express the 25(OH)D-1α-hydroxylase CYP27B1 that converts 25(OH)D3 to 1,25(OH)2D3, it is still controversial whether activated T cells have the capacity to produce sufficient amounts of 1,25(OH)2D3 to affect vitamin D-responsive genes. Furthermore, it is not known how the vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) found in high concentrations in serum affects T cell responses to 25(OH)D3.ResultsWe found that activated T cells express CYP27B1 and have the capacity to produce sufficient 1,25(OH)2D3 to affect vitamin D-responsive genes when cultured with physiological concentrations of 25(OH)D3 in serum-free medium. However, if the medium was supplemented with serum or purified DBP, DBP strictly inhibited the production of 1,25(OH)2D3 and 25(OH)D3-induced T cell responses. In contrast, DBP did not inhibit the effect of exogenous 1,25(OH)2D3. Actin, arachidonic acid and albumin did not affect the sequestration of 25(OH)D3 by DBP, whereas carbonylation of DBP did.ConclusionsActivated T cells express CYP27B1 and can convert 25(OH)D3 to 1,25(OH)2D3 in sufficiently high concentrations to affect vitamin D-responsive genes when cultured in serum-free medium. However, DBP sequesters 25(OH)D3 and inhibits the production of 1,25(OH)2D3 in T cells. To fully exploit the immune-regulatory potential of vitamin D, future studies of the mechanisms that enable the immune system to exploit 25(OH)D3 and convert it to 1,25(OH)2D3in vivo are required.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12865-014-0035-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Because naïve T cells are unable to import cystine due to the absence of cystine transporters, it has been suggested that T cell activation is dependent on cysteine generated by antigen presenting cells. The aim of this study was to determine at which phases during T cell activation exogenous cystine/cysteine is required and how T cells meet this requirement. We found that early activation of T cells is independent of exogenous cystine/cysteine, whereas T cell proliferation is strictly dependent of uptake of exogenous cystine/cysteine. Naïve T cells express no or very low levels of both cystine and cysteine transporters. However, we found that these transporters become strongly up-regulated during T cell activation and provide activated T cells with the required amount of cystine/cysteine needed for T cell proliferation. Thus, T cells are equipped with mechanisms that allow T cell activation and proliferation independently of cysteine generated by antigen presenting cells.

The active form of vitamin D3, 1,25(OH)2D3, has significant immunomodulatory properties and is an important determinant in the differentiation of CD4+ effector T cells. The biological actions of 1,25(OH)2D3 are mediated by the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and are believed to correlate with the VDR protein expression level in a given cell. The aim of this study was to determine if and how 1,25(OH)2D3 by itself regulates VDR expression in human CD4+ T cells. We found that activated CD4+ T cells have the capacity to convert the inactive 25(OH)D3 to the active 1,25(OH)2D3 that subsequently up-regulates VDR protein expression approximately 2-fold. 1,25(OH)2D3 does not increase VDR mRNA expression but increases the half-life of the VDR protein in activated CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, 1,25(OH)2D3 induces a significant intracellular redistribution of the VDR. We show that 1,25(OH)2D3 stabilizes the VDR by protecting it from proteasomal degradation. Finally, we demonstrate that proteasome inhibition leads to up-regulation of VDR protein expression and increases 1,25(OH)2D3-induced gene activation. In conclusion, our study shows that activated CD4+ T cells can produce 1,25(OH)2D3, and that 1,25(OH)2D3 induces a 2-fold up-regulation of the VDR protein expression in activated CD4+ T cells by protecting the VDR against proteasomal degradation.

Tuberculosis (TB) presents a serious health problem with approximately one-third of the world’s population infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a latent state. Experience from the pre-antibiotic era and more recent clinical studies have established a beneficial role of sunlight and vitamin D in patients with TB. At the same time, experimental data have shown that Th1 cells through production of IFNγ are crucial for cathelicidin release by macrophages, bacterial killing, and containment of M. tuberculosis in granulomas. Paradoxically, vitamin D has repeatedly been ascribed an immune-suppressive function inhibiting Th1 differentiation and production of IFNγ in T cells. The aim of this study was to investigate this apparent paradox. We studied naïve human CD4+ T cells activated either with CD3 and CD28 antibodies or with allogeneic dendritic cells (DC) stimulated with heat-killed M. tuberculosis (HKMT) or purified toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands. We show that vitamin D does not block differentiation of human CD4+ T cells to Th1 cells and that interleukin (IL)-12 partially counteracts vitamin D-mediated inhibition of IFNγ production promoting production of equal amounts of IFNγ in Th1 cells in the presence of vitamin D as in T cells activated in the absence of vitamin D and IL-12. Furthermore, we show that HKMT and TLR2 ligands strongly downregulate cathelicidin expression in DC and that vitamin D counteracts this by upregulating cathelicidin expression. In conclusion, we demonstrate that vitamin D counteracts M. tuberculosis-induced cathelicidin downregulation and allows Th1 differentiation and IFNγ secretion.