Minireview: nuclear receptor coactivators--an update

Neil J McKenna1, Bert W O'Malley

  • 1Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.

Endocrinology
|June 20, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Nuclear receptors (NRs) control gene expression. This review details how NR coactivators, crucial for mediating endocrine signals, are increasingly understood through studies in living animals.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Nuclear receptors (NRs) are critical regulators of gene expression.
  • NRs respond to hormones and other signaling molecules.
  • NR coactivators are essential for mediating cellular responses to NRs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review advances in understanding NR coactivator function.
  • To highlight the progression from mechanistic studies to in vivo biological roles.
  • To explore the significance of coactivators in endocrine signaling.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of mechanistic studies.
  • Analysis of research on coactivator biological roles in vivo.
  • Synthesis of current understanding of coactivator function.

Main Results:

  • Coactivator characterization has evolved significantly.
  • Understanding has shifted towards their roles in living organisms.
  • Coactivators play diverse biological functions beyond basic mediation.

Conclusions:

  • NR coactivators are key players in endocrine signaling pathways.
  • In vivo studies are crucial for fully elucidating coactivator functions.
  • Further research into coactivators promises deeper insights into cellular regulation.

Related Concept Videos

Covalently Linked Protein Regulators02:04

Covalently Linked Protein Regulators

Proteins can undergo many types of post-translational modifications, often in response to changes in their environment. These modifications play an important role in the function and stability of these proteins. Covalently linked molecules include functional groups, such as methyl, acetyl, and phosphate groups, and also small proteins, such as ubiquitin. There are around 200 different types of covalent regulators that have been identified.
These groups modify specific amino acids in a protein.
Co-activators and Co-repressors02:04

Co-activators and Co-repressors

Gene transcription is regulated by the synergistic action of several proteins that form a complex at a gene regulatory site. This is observed in eukaryotes, where the regulation of gene expression is a complex process. Regulatory proteins in eukaryotes can broadly be classified into two types – regulators that bind directly to specific DNA sequences and co-regulators that associate with regulatory proteins but cannot directly bind to the DNA. These co-regulators are further divided into...
Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting01:45

Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting

Nuclear protein sorting regulates nucleus composition and gene expression, crucial for determining the fate of a eukaryotic cell. Hence, the entry and exit of molecules across the nuclear envelope is a tightly controlled process. Nuclear protein sorting can be inhibited by one of the following ways: 1) masking cargo signal sequences, 2) modifying the nuclear receptor's affinity for cargo, 3) controlling the nuclear pore size, 4) retaining the cargo during its transit to the cytosol or the...
Covalently Linked Protein Regulators02:04

Covalently Linked Protein Regulators

Proteins can undergo many types of post-translational modifications, often in response to changes in their environment. These modifications play an important role in the function and stability of these proteins. Covalently linked molecules include functional groups, such as methyl, acetyl, and phosphate groups, and also small proteins, such as ubiquitin. There are around 200 different types of covalent regulators that have been identified.
These groups modify specific amino acids in a protein.
Co-activators and Co-repressors02:04

Co-activators and Co-repressors

Gene transcription is regulated by the synergistic action of several proteins that form a complex at a gene regulatory site. This is observed in eukaryotes, where the regulation of gene expression is a complex process. Regulatory proteins in eukaryotes can broadly be classified into two types – regulators that bind directly to specific DNA sequences and co-regulators that associate with regulatory proteins but cannot directly bind to the DNA. These co-regulators are further divided into...