Hepatocyte nuclear factor-4α regulates expression of the serotonin transporter in intestinal epithelial cells

The serotonin transporter (SERT) functions to regulate the availability of serotonin (5-HT) in the brain and intestine. An intestine-specific mRNA variant arising from a unique transcription start site and alternative promoter in the SERT gene has been identified (iSERT; spanning exon 1C). A decrease in SERT is implicated in several gut disorders, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). However, little is known about mechanisms regulating the iSERT variant, and a clearer understanding is warranted for targeting SERT for the treatment of gut disorders. The current studies examined the expression of iSERT across different human intestinal regions and investigated its regulation by HNF4 alpha (hepatic nuclear factor-4 alpha), a transcription factor important for diverse cellular functions. iSERT mRNA abundance was highest in the human ileum and Caco-2 cell line. iSERT mRNA expression was downregulated by loss of HNF4 alpha (but not HNF1 alpha, HNF1 beta , or FOXA1) in Caco-2 cells. Overexpression of HNF4 alpha increased iSERT mRNA concomitant with an increase in SERT protein. Progressive promoter deletion and site-directed mutagenesis revealed that the HNF4 alpha response element spans nucleotides - 1,163 to - 1150 relative to the translation start site. SERT mRNA levels in the intestine were drastically reduced in the intestine-specific HNF4 alpha-knockout mice relative to HNF4 alpha FL/FL mice. Both HNF4 alpha and SERT mRNA levels were also downregulated in mouse model of ileitis (SAMP) compared with AKR control mice. These results establish the transcriptional regulation of iSERT at the gut-specific internal promoter (hSERTp2) and have identified HNF4 alpha as a critical modulator of basal SERT expression in the intestine.