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Ligand binding and nuclear receptor evolution
Author(s) -
Escriva Hector,
Delaunay Franck,
Laudet Vincent
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/1521-1878(200008)22:8<717::aid-bies5>3.0.co;2-i
Subject(s) - nuclear receptor , receptor , biology , superfamily , ligand (biochemistry) , transcription factor , neuron derived orphan receptor 1 , pelp 1 , genetics , computational biology , microbiology and biotechnology , gene
Nuclear receptors form a superfamily of ligand‐activated transcription factors that regulate various physiological functions, from development to homeostasis, in metazoans. The superfamily contains not only receptors for known ligands but also a large number of so‐called orphan receptors for which ligands do not exist or have not been identified. The evolution of ligand‐binding capacity of nuclear receptors may involve either secondary loss in orphan receptors, or evolutionary acquisition of ligand‐binding capacity in liganded receptors. In this review, we present arguments from phylogenetic, functional and structural studies that support the hypothesis that there have been several independent gains of ligand‐binding ability of nuclear receptors during metazoan evolution. BioEssays 22:717–727, 2000. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.