Transcriptional activation by TR3 receptor, a member of the steroid receptor superfamily.

TR3 receptor is a human homolog of mouse Nurr77 and N10 protein and the rat NGFI-B protein. A cDNA encoding a chimeric nuclear receptor composed of the N-terminal domain and C-terminal putative ligand-binding domain of the orphan receptor TR3 receptor and the DNA-binding domain of the androgen receptor was constructed. The chimeric receptor, called TR3/AR/TR3 receptor, when expressed in COS-1 monkey kidney cells or PC-3 human prostate tumor cells, cotransfected with an ARE-containing mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat-linked reporter gene encoding chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT), activated CAT expression in the absence of any added factor. The activation was dependent on the amount of expression vector transfected and appeared to be independent of the concentration of serum supplement. Intact TR3 receptor was not active in this system. A TR3/AR/TR3 receptor protein truncated in the putative ligand-binding domain also induced CAT activity. TR3 receptor appears to be a transcriptional factor that activates transcription independently of ligand or binds an endogenous ligand present constitutively in cultured cells.