Nuclear receptors HNF4α and LRH-1 cooperate in regulating Cyp7a1 in vivo

Fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) is a postprandial enterokine induced by the nuclear bile acid receptor, FXR, in ileum. FGF19 inhibits bile acid synthesis in liver through transcriptional repression of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) via a mechanism involving the nuclear receptor SHP. Here, in a series of loss-of-function studies, we show that the nuclear receptors HNF4α and LRH-1 have dual roles in regulating Cyp7a1 in vivo. First, they cooperate in maintaining basal Cyp7a1 expression. Second, they enable SHP binding to the Cyp7a1 promoter and facilitate FGF19-mediated repression of bile acid synthesis. HNF4α and LRH-1 promote active transcription histone marks on the Cyp7a1 promoter that are reversed by FGF19 in a SHP-dependent manner. These findings demonstrate that both HNF4α and LRH-1 are important regulators of Cyp7a1 transcription in vivo.