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Updated: May 1, 2026

Reverse Yeast Two-hybrid System to Identify Mammalian Nuclear Receptor Residues that Interact with Ligands and/or Antagonists
10:51

Reverse Yeast Two-hybrid System to Identify Mammalian Nuclear Receptor Residues that Interact with Ligands and/or Antagonists

Published on: November 15, 2013

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Nuclear receptors rock around the clock

Xuan Zhao1, Han Cho, Ruth T Yu

  • 1Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.

EMBO Reports
|April 17, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Circadian rhythms are vital for human health. Nuclear receptors interact with the body's internal clock, offering potential therapeutic targets for diseases linked to disrupted circadian rhythms.

Area of Science:

  • Chronobiology
  • Molecular Endocrinology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Circadian rhythms govern numerous physiological processes, including metabolism and behavior.
  • Disruptions to circadian rhythms are linked to diseases like cancer and metabolic disorders.
  • The molecular circadian clock involves transcription factors CLOCK, BMAL, PER, and CRY.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent findings on the role of nuclear receptors (NRs) in circadian clock mechanisms.
  • To explore the bidirectional regulation between NRs and the circadian clock.
  • To highlight NRs as potential therapeutic targets for circadian rhythm disruption-related pathologies.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent functional and mechanistic studies.
  • Analysis of the interplay between nuclear receptors and core clock components.
  • Synthesis of evidence implicating NRs in universal and adaptive circadian functions.

Main Results:

  • Nuclear receptors are implicated as key components in circadian clock mechanisms.
  • Evidence shows reciprocal regulation between the circadian clock and nuclear receptors.
  • NRs are involved in both fundamental and adaptable aspects of circadian timing.

Conclusions:

  • Nuclear receptors play a crucial role in the mammalian circadian clock.
  • The interaction between NRs and the circadian clock offers novel therapeutic strategies.
  • Targeting nuclear receptors may provide treatments for diseases associated with circadian disruption.

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