Nuclear receptors

Nuclear receptors form a superfamily of transcriptional regulators includin g both classical hormone receptors and orphan receptors. The functional ana tomy of the receptors is described as well as their interaction with coacti vators, cointegrators and corepressors. Nuclear receptors activate and inhi bit gene transcription by regulating histone acetylases and histone deacety lases. Receptor isoforms (oestrogen receptors alpha and beta), ligands exer ting differential effects on the same receptor and the mechanism of action of antihormones are discussed.