Chicken thyroid hormone receptor α requires the N‐terminal amino acids for exclusive nuclear localization

Abstract
The subcellular localization of natural and engineered forms of the chicken thyroid hormone receptor (cTRα) is dependent on amino acids encoded in the N‐terminal region. The full length receptor protein, cTRα‐p46, was found to localize exclusively to the nucleus, whereas the N‐terminally shorter variant, cTRα‐p40, localizes to both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The exclusive nuclear localization of cTRα‐p46 is dependent on the presence of the first 11 N‐terminal amino acids, but independent of the phosphorylation of the serine at position 12. Our data identify a novel role for an N‐terminal domain of the full length thyroid hormone receptor.