NCoRs

Nuclear receptor corepressors, often abbreviated as NCoRs, are a family of proteins that play a crucial role in regulating gene expression. They function by interacting with nuclear receptors, a class of transcription factors that bind to specific DNA sequences and control the transcription of target genes. NCoRs are essential for the repression of gene transcription, meaning they can turn off or significantly reduce the activity of certain genes.

These corepressors act as intermediaries, linking the DNA-bound nuclear receptor to components of the cellular machinery that silence gene expression. This typically involves recruiting chromatin-modifying enzymes. For instance, NCoRs are known to recruit histone deacetylases (HDACs), which remove acetyl groups from histone proteins. This process leads to a more condensed chromatin structure, making it inaccessible to the transcriptional machinery and thereby repressing gene expression.

The NCoR family includes several distinct proteins, with NCoR1 and NCoR2 (also known as GPS2) being the most well-characterized. These corepressors are involved in a wide range of physiological processes, including metabolism, development, and homeostasis. Their dysregulation has been implicated in various diseases, such as metabolic disorders, cancer, and endocrine diseases. Consequently, NCoRs are considered important therapeutic targets for a number of human conditions.