Vitamin D/vitamin D receptor, autophagy, and infection.

Vitamin D plays an important role in mineral and bone homeostasis, immune responses, cardiovascular function and keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation. Vitamin D performs most of its functions by binding to vitamin D receptors (VDR), which interact with other intracellular signaling pathways to regulate bone metabolism, inflammation, immunity, cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Autophagy is a basic stress response in yeast, plants and mammals, and plays a critical role in maintaining optimal functional states at the level of cells and organs. Vitamin D/VDR plays an anti-infection role via inducing and regulating autophagy.