Differential Regulation of Vitamin D Receptor by P53, P63, and P73

This dissertation explored the regulation of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) by the p53 family members, specifically p63 and p73, in the context of cancer and development. It was found that VDR is a direct target of p63 and p73, but not p53. The study revealed that downregulation of p63 in human epidermoid cancer cells led to a loss of VDR expression, and that p63-mediated upregulation of VDR inhibited cancer cell migration and invasion. Additionally, p73 was shown to be crucial for VDR expression in response to DNA damage and for vitamin D-mediated osteoblastic differentiation. These findings suggested that understanding VDR regulation by p63 and p73 could provide insights into cancer treatment and the molecular mechanisms of these proteins.