title: Transcriptional activation by nuclear receptors.
abstract: Transcriptional activation by nuclear receptors (NRs) involves the recruitment of distinct classes of co-activators and other transcription-related factors to target promoters in the chromatin environment of the nucleus. Chromatin has a general repressive effect on transcription, but also provides opportunities for NRs to regulate transcription by directing specific patterns of chromatin remodelling and histone modification. Ultimately, the transcription of hormone-regulated genes by NRs is critically dependent on co-ordinated physical and functional interactions among the receptors, chromatin, co-activators with chromatin-, histone- and factor-modifying activities, and the RNA polymerase II transcriptional machinery. In addition, several mechanisms exist to terminate or attenuate NR-dependent signalling, including modification, recycling, subcellular redistribution and degradation of the receptors or their associated cofactors. The complexity of NR-dependent transcription provides multiple targets for regulatory inputs, thus allowing each hormone-responsive cell to direct its transcriptional output in a physiologically appropriate manner.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, 465 Biotechnology Building, Ithaca, NY 14853, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Mari Luz
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Acevedo
authors.forename: W Lee
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Kraus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000502:physiology*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D012319:RNA Polymerase II