Looking at nuclear receptors from the heights of Erice

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Abstract
From May 12 to 15, 2001, the Center Ettore Majorana in Erice (Sicily) hosted the 4th EMBO Workshop on Nuclear Receptor Structure and Function, organized, as a now well‐established tradition, by M Beato, P Chambon, J‐Å Gustafsson, A Maggi, M Parker and W Wahli. ![][1] Since the initial cloning studies, steroid hormone receptors have appeared to belong to a large family of regulated transcription factors that has embraced receptors for vitamin D (VitD), thyroid hormones, retinoids and others of unknown ligand (the ‘orphans’). The last decade has witnessed a rapid increase in the knowledge of the structures and molecular mechanisms adopted by this family of proteins to finely regulate gene transcription and interact with other signalling molecules. The Erice meeting covered topics ranging from chromatin remodelling to structural features and dynamics of nuclear receptor (NR) interactions with ligands, target DNA and co‐regulators. Progress on two fronts was of particular relevance at this year's meeting: a wide range of activities of specific NRs or co‐regulators had been determined through the use of genetically engineered mouse models, and novel mechanisms whereby a number of orphan receptors regulate metabolic pathways had been unravelled. In this report we will summarize some of the recent findings presented at the workshop. Owing to space limitations, we were forced to select only a few of the many exciting data shown. ### Spying into the intricacies of chromatin structure and function A major question in understanding the mechanism of action of intracellular receptors relates to the dynamics of their binding to DNA to recruit and activate the transcription machinery. D. Reinberg's (Piscataway, NJ) task at this EMBO workshop was to prepare the ground for the discussion of this subject by presenting the latest investigations into chromatin effects on RNA polymerase II‐dependent transcription (Kornberg and Lorch, 1999). The … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif