title: Characterization of nuclear localization signals and cytoplasmic retention region in the nuclear receptor CAR.
abstract: The constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) is a ligand/activator-dependent transactivation factor that resides in the cytoplasm and forms part of an as yet unidentified protein complex. Upon stimulation, CAR translocates into the nucleus where it modulates the transactivation of target genes. However, CAR exogenously expressed in rat liver RL-34 cells is located in the nucleus even in the absence of activators. By transiently transfecting RL-34 cells with various mutated rat CAR segments, we identified two nuclear localization signals: a basic amino acid-rich sequence (RRARQARRR) between amino acids 100 and 108; and an assembly of noncontiguous residues widely spread over amino acid residues 111 to 320 within the ligand binding domain. A C-terminal leucine-rich segment corresponding to a previously reported murine xenochemical response signal was not found to exhibit nuclear import activity in cultured cells. Using rat primary hepatocytes transfected with various CAR segments, we identified the region required for the cytoplasmic retention of CAR. Based on these results, the intracellular localization of CAR would be determined by the combined effects of nuclear localization signals, the xenochemical response signal, and the cytoplasmic retention region.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, 2-2-1 Miyama, Funabashi, Chiba 274-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanno
authors.forename: Motoyoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakahama
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inouye
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D000090702:Constitutive Androstane Receptor; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism*; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009154:Mutation; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000090702:Constitutive Androstane Receptor; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D014157:Transcription Factors