Conserved functional motifs of the nuclear receptor superfamily as potential pharmacological targets

Nuclear receptors (NRs) are one of the most diverse and well-reported family of proteins. They are involved in numerous cellular processes as they play pivotal roles in cell signaling and the cell cycle. The participation of NRs in various applications in medicine and biology has greatly attracted the interest of the pharmaceutical industry for the discovery of novel and/or improved drugs for the treatment of several diseases, including cancer, diabetes or infertility. In the present study, in an effort to elucidate the molecular function of this superfamily and to identify novel pharmacological targets, a comprehensive sequence and structural analysis was performed using all available information from a repertoire of depositories. Functional conserved motifs were identified and analyzed with regards to their potential roles and implications in a number of biological processes. The essential differences among them were also addressed and discussed. In addition, these motifs were characterized in the main groups of the NRs, such as that of the steroid hormone receptors.