The thyroid hormone receptor recruits NCoR via widely spaced receptor-interacting domains

Nuclear receptor corepressor 1 levels differentially impact the intracellular dynamics of mutant thyroid hormone receptors associated with resistance to thyroid hormone syndrome

Thyroid hormone receptor α1 (TRα1) undergoes nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and mediates gene expression in response to thyroid hormone (T3). In Resistance to Thyroid Hormone Syndrome α (RTHα), certain TRα1 mutants have higher affinity for nuclear corepressor 1 (NCoR1) and may form stable complexes that are not released in the presence of T3. Here, we examined whether NCoR1 modulates intranuclear mobility and nuclear retention of TRα1 or RTHα-associated mutants in transfected human cells, as a way of analyzing critical structural components of TRα1 and to further explore the correlation between mutations in TRα1 and aberrant intracellular trafficking. We found no significant difference in intranuclear mobility, as measured by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, between TRα1 and select RTHα mutants, irrespective of NCoR1 expression. Nuclear-to-cytoplasmic fluorescence ratios of RTHα mutants, however, varied from TRα1 when NCoR1 was overexpressed, with a significant increase in nuclear retention for A263V and a significant decrease for A263S and R384H. In NCoR1-knockout cells, nuclear retention of A263S, A263V, P389R, A382P, C392X, and F397fs406X was significantly decreased compared to control (wild-type) cells. Luciferase reporter gene transcription mediated by TRα1 was significantly repressed by both NCoR1 overexpression and NCoR1 knockout. Most RTHα mutants showed minimal induction regardless of NCoR1 levels, but T3-mediated transcriptional activity was decreased for R384C and F397fs406X when NCoR1 was overexpressed, and also decreased for N359Y in NCoR1-knockout cells. Our results suggest a complex interaction between NCoR1 and RTHα mutants characterized by aberrant intracellular localization patterns and transcriptional activity that potentially arise from variable repressor complex stability, and may provide insight into RTHα pathogenesis on a molecular and cellular level.

NCOR1 Orchestrates Transcriptional Landscapes and Effector Functions of CD4+ T Cells

The differentiation of naïve CD4+ T cells into T helper (Th) subsets is key for a functional immune response and has to be tightly controlled by transcriptional and epigenetic processes. However, the function of cofactors that connect gene-specific transcription factors with repressive chromatin-modifying enzymes in Th cells is yet unknown. Here we demonstrate an essential role for nuclear receptor corepressor 1 (NCOR1) in regulating naïve CD4+ T cell and Th1/Th17 effector transcriptomes. Moreover, NCOR1 binds to a conserved cis-regulatory element within the Ifng locus and controls the extent of IFNγ expression in Th1 cells. Further, NCOR1 controls the survival of activated CD4+ T cells and Th1 cells in vitro, while Th17 cell survival was not affected in the absence of NCOR1. In vivo, effector functions were compromised since adoptive transfer of NCOR1-deficient CD4+ T cells resulted in attenuated colitis due to lower frequencies of IFNγ+ and IFNγ+IL-17A+ Th cells and overall reduced CD4+ T cell numbers. Collectively, our data demonstrate that the coregulator NCOR1 shapes transcriptional landscapes in CD4+ T cells and controls Th1/Th17 effector functions.

Genetic and Pharmacological Targeting of Transcriptional Repression in Resistance to Thyroid Hormone Alpha

Background: Thyroid hormones act in bone and cartilage via thyroid hormone receptor alpha (TRα). In the absence of triiodothyronine (T3), TRα interacts with co-repressors, including nuclear receptor co-repressor-1 (NCoR1), which recruit histone deacetylases (HDACs) and mediate transcriptional repression. Dominant-negative mutations of TRα cause resistance to thyroid hormone alpha (RTHα; OMIM 614450), characterized by excessive repression of T3 target genes leading to delayed skeletal development, growth retardation, and bone dysplasia. Treatment with thyroxine has been of limited benefit, even in mildly affected individuals, and there is a need for new therapeutic strategies. It was hypothesized that (i) the skeletal manifestations of RTHα are mediated by the persistent TRα/NCoR1/HDAC repressor complex containing mutant TRα, and (ii) treatment with the HDAC inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) would ameliorate these manifestations. Methods: The skeletal phenotypes of (i) Thra1^PV/+ mice, a well characterized model of RTHα; (ii) Ncor1^ΔID/ΔID mice, which express an NCoR1 mutant that fails to interact with TRα; and (iii) Thra1^PV/+Ncor1^ΔID/ΔID double-mutant adult mice were determined. Wild-type, Thra1^PV/+, Ncor1^ΔID/ΔID, and Thra1^PV/+Ncor1^ΔID/ΔID double-mutant mice were also treated with SAHA to determine whether HDAC inhibition results in amelioration of skeletal abnormalities. Results:Thra1^PV/+ mice had a severe skeletal dysplasia, characterized by short stature, abnormal bone morphology, and increased bone mineral content. Despite normal bone length, Ncor1^ΔID/ΔID mice displayed increased cortical bone mass, mineralization, and strength. Thra1^PV/+Ncor1^ΔID/ΔID double-mutant mice displayed only a small improvement of skeletal abnormalities compared to Thra1^PV/+ mice. Treatment with SAHA to inhibit histone deacetylation had no beneficial or detrimental effects on bone structure, mineralization, or strength in wild-type or mutant mice. Conclusions: These studies indicate treatment with SAHA is unlikely to improve the skeletal manifestations of RTHα. Nevertheless, the findings (i) confirm that TRα1 has a critical role in the regulation of skeletal development and adult bone mass, (ii) suggest a physiological role for alternative co-repressors that interact with TR in skeletal cells, and (iii) demonstrate a novel role for NCoR1 in the regulation of adult bone mass and strength.

Thyroid Hormone Receptor β Suppression of RUNX2 Is Mediated by Brahma-Related Gene 1-Dependent Chromatin Remodeling

Thyroid hormone receptor β (TRβ) suppresses tumor growth through regulation of gene expression, yet the associated TRβ-mediated changes in chromatin assembly are not known. The chromatin ATPase brahma-related gene 1 (BRG1; SMARCA4), a key component of chromatin-remodeling complexes, is altered in many cancers, but its role in thyroid tumorigenesis and TRβ-mediated gene expression is unknown. We previously identified the oncogene runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) as a repressive target of TRβ. Here, we report differential expression of BRG1 in nonmalignant and malignant thyroid cells concordant with TRβ. BRG1 and TRβ have similar nuclear distribution patterns and significant colocalization. BRG1 interacts with TRβ, and together, they are part of the regulatory complex at the RUNX2 promoter. Loss of BRG1 increases RUNX2 levels, whereas reintroduction of TRβ and BRG1 synergistically decreases RUNX2 expression. RUNX2 promoter accessibility corresponded to RUNX2 expression levels. Inhibition of BRG1 activity increased accessibility of the RUNX2 promoter and corresponding expression. Our results reveal a mechanism of TRβ repression of oncogenic gene expression: TRβ recruitment of BRG1 induces chromatin compaction and diminishes RUNX2 expression. Therefore, BRG1-mediated chromatin remodeling may be obligatory for TRβ transcriptional repression and tumor suppressor function in thyroid tumorigenesis.

NCoR1-independent mechanism plays a role in the action of the unliganded thyroid hormone receptor

Nuclear receptor corepressor 1 (NCoR1) is considered to be the major corepressor that mediates ligand-independent actions of the thyroid hormone receptor (TR) during development and in hypothyroidism. We tested this by expressing a hypomorphic NCoR1 allele (NCoR1ΔID), which cannot interact with the TR, in Pax8-KO mice, which make no thyroid hormone. Surprisingly, abrogation of NCoR1 function did not reverse the ligand-independent action of the TR on many gene targets and did not fully rescue the high mortality rate due to congenital hypothyroidism in these mice. To further examine NCoR1's role in repression by the unliganded TR, we deleted NCoR1 in the livers of euthyroid and hypothyroid mice and examined the effects on gene expression and enhancer activity measured by histone 3 lysine 27 (H3K27) acetylation. Even in the absence of NCoR1 function, we observed strong repression of more than 43% of positive T3 (3,3',5-triiodothyronine) targets in hypothyroid mice. Regulation of approximately half of those genes correlated with decreased H3K27 acetylation, and nearly 80% of these regions with affected H3K27 acetylation contained a bona fide TRβ1-binding site. Moreover, using liver-specific TRβ1-KO mice, we demonstrate that hypothyroidism-associated changes in gene expression and histone acetylation require TRβ1. Thus, many of the genomic changes mediated by the TR in hypothyroidism are independent of NCoR1, suggesting a role for additional signaling modulators in hypothyroidism.

Thyroid hormone signaling in vivo requires a balance between coactivators and corepressors

Resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH), a human syndrome, is characterized by high thyroid hormone (TH) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. Mice with mutations in the thyroid hormone receptor beta (TRβ) gene that cannot bind steroid receptor coactivator 1 (SRC-1) and Src-1(-/-) mice both have phenotypes similar to that of RTH. Conversely, mice expressing a mutant nuclear corepressor 1 (Ncor1) allele that cannot interact with TRβ, termed NCoRΔID, have low TH levels and normal TSH. We hypothesized that Src-1(-/-) mice have RTH due to unopposed corepressor action. To test this, we crossed NCoRΔID and Src-1(-/-) mice to create mice deficient for coregulator action in all cell types. Remarkably, NCoR(ΔID/ΔID) Src-1(-/-) mice have normal TH and TSH levels and are triiodothryonine (T(3)) sensitive at the level of the pituitary. Although absence of SRC-1 prevented T(3) activation of key hepatic gene targets, NCoR(ΔID/ΔID) Src-1(-/-) mice reacquired hepatic T(3) sensitivity. Using in vivo chromatin immunoprecipitation assays (ChIP) for the related coactivator SRC-2, we found enhanced SRC-2 recruitment to TR-binding regions of genes in NCoR(ΔID/ΔID) Src-1(-/-) mice, suggesting that SRC-2 is responsible for T(3) sensitivity in the absence of NCoR1 and SRC-1. Thus, T(3) targets require a critical balance between NCoR1 and SRC-1. Furthermore, replacement of NCoR1 with NCoRΔID corrects RTH in Src-1(-/-) mice through increased SRC-2 recruitment to T(3) target genes.

SMRTε, a corepressor variant, interacts with a restricted subset of nuclear receptors, including the retinoic acid receptors α and β

The SMRT and NCoR corepressors bind to, and mediate transcriptional repression by, many nuclear receptors. Both SMRT and NCoR are expressed by alternative mRNA splicing, generating a series of structurally and functionally distinct corepressor "variants". We report that a splice variant of SMRT, SMRTε, recognizes a restricted subset of nuclear receptors. Unlike the other corepressor variants characterized, SMRTε possesses only a single receptor interaction domain (RID) and exhibits an unusual specificity for a subset of nuclear receptors that includes the retinoic acid receptors (RARs). The ability of the single RID in SMRTε to efficiently interact with RARs appears to be enhanced by a recently recognized β-strand/β-strand interaction between corepressor and receptor. We suggest that alternative mRNA splicing of corepressors can restrict their function to specific nuclear receptor partnerships, and we propose that this may serve to customize the transcriptional repression properties of different cell types for different biological purposes.

Nuclear hormone receptor co-repressors: structure and function

Co-repressor proteins, such as SMRT and NCoR, mediate the repressive activity of unliganded nuclear receptors and other transcription factors. They appear to act as intrinsically disordered "hub proteins" that integrate the activities of a range of transcription factors with a number of histone modifying enzymes. Although these co-repressor proteins are challenging targets for structural studies due to their largely unstructured character, a number of structures have recently been determined of co-repressor interaction regions in complex with their interacting partners. These have yielded considerable insight into the mechanism of assembly of these complexes, the structural basis for the specificity of the interactions and also open opportunities for targeting these interactions therapeutically.

Thyroid hormone receptor mutations in cancer and resistance to thyroid hormone: perspective and prognosis

Thyroid hormone, operating through its receptors, plays crucial roles in the control of normal human physiology and development; deviations from the norm can give rise to disease. Clinical endocrinologists often must confront and correct the consequences of inappropriately high or low thyroid hormone synthesis. Although more rare, disruptions in thyroid hormone endocrinology due to aberrations in the receptor also have severe medical consequences. This review will focus on the afflictions that are caused by, or are closely associated with, mutated thyroid hormone receptors. These include Resistance to Thyroid Hormone Syndrome, erythroleukemia, hepatocellular carcinoma, renal clear cell carcinoma, and thyroid cancer. We will describe current views on the molecular bases of these diseases, and what distinguishes the neoplastic from the non-neoplastic. We will also touch on studies that implicate alterations in receptor expression, and thyroid hormone levels, in certain oncogenic processes.

NCoR1 regulates thyroid hormone receptor isoform-dependent adipogenesis

We previously showed that two thyroid hormone receptor (TR) isoforms--TRα1 and TRβ1--differentially regulate thyroid hormone (triiodothyroxine, T(3))-stimulated adipogenesis in vivo. This study aims to understand the role of the nuclear receptor corepressor, NCoR1, in TR isoform-dependent adipogenesis. We found that T(3)-stimulated adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells was accompanied by progressive loss of NCoR1 protein levels. In 3T3-L1 cells stably expressing a mutated TRα1, PV (L1-α1PV cells), the T(3)-stimulated adipogenesis was more strongly inhibited than that in 3T3-L1 cells stably expressing an identical mutation in TRβ1 (L1-β1PV cells). The stronger inhibition of adipogenesis in L1-α1PV cells was associated with a higher NCoR1 protein level. These results indicate that the degree of loss of NCoR1 correlates with the extent of adipogenesis. siRNA knockdown of NCoR1 promoted adipogenesis of control 3T3-L1 cells and reversed the inhibited adipogenesis of L1-α1PV and L1-β1PV cells, indicating that NCoR1 plays an essential role in TR isoform-dependent adipogenesis. An ubiquitin ligase, mSiah2, that targets NCoR1 for proteasome degradation was upregulated on day 1 before the onset of progressive loss of NCoR1. NCoR1 was found to associate with mSiah2 and with TR, TRα1PV, or TRβ1PV, but a stronger interaction of NCoR1 with TRα1PV than with TRβ1PV was detected. Furthermore, TRα1PV-NCoR1 complex was more avidly recruited than TRβ1PV-NCoR1 to the promoter of the C/ebpα gene, leading to more inhibition in its expression. These results indicate that differential interaction of NCoR1 with TR isoforms accounted for the TR isoform-dependent regulation of adipogenesis and that aberrant interaction of NCoR1 with TR could underlie the pathogenesis of lipid disorders in hypothyroidism.

Resistance to thyroid hormone due to a novel thyroid hormone receptor mutant in a patient with hypothyroidism secondary to lingual thyroid and functional characterization of the mutant receptor

BACKGROUND

We describe a rare case of congenital hypothyroidism and an extremely high serum thyrotropin (TSH) level caused by a combination of resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH) and a lingual thyroid. As the RTH mutant, R316C, was new, the optimum dose of levothyroxine was unclear. To aid in assessment of the therapy, we characterized the mutant R316C thyroid hormone receptor (TR) and compared it with a common mutant, R316H, using in vitro studies.

SUMMARY

The patient was a newborn female having severe hypothyroidism with a free thyroxine level of 0.36 ng/dL and a serum TSH level of 177 microU/mL. A scintiscan showed ectopic lingual thyroid tissue without a normal thyroid gland. Supplementation with levothyroxine at a dose of >350 microg/day did not normalize the serum TSH level; however, the patient showed normal growth and intelligence at 14 years of age. Consistent with the results of a computer analysis, the binding of R316C to triiodothyronine (T3) was significantly decreased to 38% that of the wild type. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay demonstrated that like R316H, R316C did not form a homodimer, but formed a heterodimer with RXR. However, a glutathione-S-transferase pull-down assay showed reduced binding of R316C with NCoR in the absence of T3 and impaired release in the presence of T3. In addition, transient transfection experiments demonstrated that unlike R316H, R316C had severe impairment of transcriptional activity on genes both positively and negatively regulated by thyroid hormone. It also had a clear dominant negative effect on genes negatively, but not positively, regulated by thyroid hormone, including the TSH-releasing hormone and TSHbeta genes.

CONCLUSION

This is the first reported case of a R316C TR mutation. The characteristics of the R316C mutant differed from those of the R316H mutant. Our findings suggest that R316C causes reduced association with and impaired release of NCoR, resulting in RTH predominantly at the pituitary level, and that slightly elevated serum TSH level with high dose of levothyroxine might be optimum for normal growth.

Molecular determinants required for selective interactions between the thyroid hormone receptor homodimer and the nuclear receptor corepressor N-CoR

The unliganded nuclear receptor (NR) generally recruits the NR corepressor (N-CoR) and the silencing mediator of retinoid and thyroid hormone receptor via its direct binding to the extended helical motif within dual NR-interaction domains (IDs) of corepressors. Interestingly, N-CoR has a third ID (ID3) upstream of two IDs (ID1 and ID2) and its core motif (IDVII), rather than an extended helical motif, is known to be involved directly in the exclusive interaction of ID3 with the thyroid hormone receptor (TR). Here, we investigated the molecular determinants of the TR interaction with ID3 to understand the molecular basis of the N-CoR preference shown by the TR homodimer. Using a one- plus two-hybrid system, we identified the specific residues of N-CoR-ID2 and N-CoR-ID3 that are required for stable association of N-CoR with the TR homodimer. By swapping experiments and mutagenesis studies, we found that the C-terminally flanked residues of the core motif of ID3 contribute to the TR preference for N-CoR-ID3, suggesting that an extended three-turn helix might form within the ID3 via a C-terminal extension (IDVIITRQI) and participate directly in the TR-specific interaction. Structural modeling of the ID3 motif on TR-LBD is consistent with this conclusion. Notably, we identified a novel interaction between N-CoR-ID3 and orphan NR RevErb that is mediated by the residues crucial also in TR binding. These observations raise the intriguing possibility that NR homodimers such as TR and RevErb display preferential binding to the N-CoR corepressor via their specific interactions with ID3, which is normally absent from the silencing mediator of retinoid and thyroid hormone receptor.