title: Nuclear Receptors, Volume 364 (Methods in Enzymology)
author: David W. Russell
description: Nuclear Receptors are inducible transcription factors that mediate complex effects on development, differentiation and homeostasis
zlib_text: Chapter 4
  Signaling by Nuclear Receptors
  Nuclear receptors regulate gene expression in response to binding small lipophilic
  molecules and are thereby involved in the control of a diversity of cellular processes.
  These proteins are ligand-activated transcription factors that are localized in the cyto-
  plasm and/or in the nucleus. The hormone ligands pass the cell membrane by simple
  diffusion and bind to the cognate receptors in the cytoplasm or in the nucleus. By bind-
  ing to cognate DNA elements the ligand-bound receptor activates target genes and
  thus transmits hormonal signals into a change of gene expression.
  4.1
  Ligands of Nuclear Receptors
  The naturally occurring ligands of nuclear receptors are lipophilic hormones, among
  which the steroid hormones, the thyroid hormone T3, as well as derivatives of vitamin
  A and D have been long known as central regulators. These hormones play a signifi-
  cant role in metabolic regulation, organ function and in development and differentia-
  tion pro