Retinoic Acid Receptor α Mediates All-trans-retinoic Acid-induced Klf4 Gene Expression by Regulating Klf4 Promoter Activity in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

The transcription factor Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) plays a critical role in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) differentiation induced by all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA). Although it has been demonstrated that ATRA stimulation augments both KLF4 protein and mRNA levels in VSMCs, the molecular mechanisms by which ATRA regulates Klf4 transcription are unknown. In this study, we examined the roles of ATRA-selective nuclear retinoic acid receptors (RARs) in the transcriptional regulation of Klf4. The introduction of small interfering RNA and an RAR antagonist demonstrated that RAR alpha, but not RAR beta or RAR gamma, mediated ATRA-induced Klf4 expression. A luciferase assay for the Klf4 promoter showed that three GC boxes in the proximal Klf4 promoter were indispensible for ATRA-induced Klf4 transcription and that RAR alpha enhanced Klf4 promoter activity in a GC box-dependent manner. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation and oligonucleotide pulldown assays demonstrated that the transcription factors KLF4, Sp1, and YB1 directly bound to the GC boxes of the proximal Klf4 promoter. Upon RAR alpha agonist stimulation, RAR alpha was recruited to the Klf4 promoter through its interaction with KLF4, Sp1, and YB1 to form a transcriptional activation complex on the three GC boxes of the Klf4 promoter. These results suggest that RAR alpha serves as an essential co-activator for ATRA signaling and that the recruitment of RAR alpha to the KLF4-Sp1-YB1 complex, which leads to Klf4 expression in VSMCs, is independent of a retinoic acid response element.