Abstract:
The Nuclear Receptor (NR) family of transcriptional regulators possess the ability to sense signalling molecules and directly couple that to a transcriptional response. While this large class of proteins are united by sequence and structural homology, individual NR functional output varies greatly depending on their expression, ligand selectivity and DNA binding sequence specificity. Many NRs have remained somewhat enigmatic, with the absence of a defined ligand categorising them as orphan nuclear receptors. One example is Nuclear Receptor subfamily 6 group A member 1 (Nr6a1), an orphan nuclear receptor that has no close evolutionary homologs and thus is alone in subfamily 6. Nonetheless, Nr6a1 has emerged as an important player in the regulation of key pluripotency and developmental genes, as functionally critical for mid-gestational developmental progression and as a possible molecular target for driving evolutionary change in animal body plan. Here, we review the current knowledge on this enigmatic nuclear receptor and how it impacts development and evolution.
摘要:
转录调节因子的核受体(NR)家族具有感测信号分子并将其直接与转录应答偶联的能力。虽然这一大类蛋白质是通过序列和结构同源性联合起来的,单个NR函数输出根据它们的表达式变化很大,配体选择性和DNA结合序列特异性。许多NR仍然有些神秘,没有定义的配体将它们归类为孤儿核受体。一个例子是核受体亚家族6组A成员1(Nr6a1),一种孤儿核受体,没有紧密的进化同源物,因此在亚家族6中单独存在。尽管如此,Nr6a1已成为调节关键多能性和发育基因的重要参与者,在功能上对妊娠中期发育进展至关重要,并且可能是驱动动物身体计划进化变化的分子靶标。这里,我们回顾了目前关于这种神秘的核受体的知识,以及它如何影响发育和进化。