An orphan nuclear receptor lacking a zinc-finger DNA-binding domain: interaction with several nuclear receptors

The yeast two-hybrid screening was applied to cloning cDNAs of proteins that interact with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha). We obtained from a rat liver cDNA library a clone encoding a protein related to the ligand-binding domain of the members of nuclear hormone receptor superfamily, whereas apparently lacking the zinc-finger DNA-binding domain. This protein interacted with the activated forms of several nuclear receptors, and thus is a novel type of heterodimer-forming nuclear receptor.