Diversity of Quaternary Structures Regulates Nuclear Receptor Activities

Abstract

Nuclear receptors (NRs) form homo- and/or heterodimers as central scaffolds of multiprotein complexes, which activate or repress gene transcription to regulate development, homeostasis, and metabolism. Recent studies on NR quaternary structure reveal novel mechanisms of receptor dimerization, the existence of tetrameric chromatin-bound NRs, and previously unanticipated protein-protein/protein-DNA interactions.

Keywords: Nuclear receptors; monomer-oligomer transition; protein–protein interaction surfaces; quaternary structure; structure–function.