Role of the Orphan Nuclear Receptor NR4A Family in T-Cell Biology

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2021 Feb 1:11:624122. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2020.624122. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

The nuclear orphan receptors NR4A1, NR4A2, and NR4A3 are immediate early genes that are induced by various signals. They act as transcription factors and their activity is not regulated by ligand binding and are thus regulated via their expression levels. Their expression is transiently induced in T cells by triggering of the T cell receptor following antigen recognition during both thymic differentiation and peripheral T cell responses. In this review, we will discuss how NR4A family members impact different aspects of the life of a T cell from thymic differentiation to peripheral response against infections and cancer.

Keywords: CD4 T cell; CD8 T cell; NR4A nuclear receptor; Nor1; Nur77; Nurr1; immune response; thymus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 1 / physiology*
  • Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 2 / physiology*
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / physiology
  • Receptors, Steroid / physiology*
  • Receptors, Thyroid Hormone / physiology*
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • T-Lymphocytes / physiology*
  • Thymus Gland / cytology
  • Thymus Gland / physiology*

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • NR4A1 protein, human
  • NR4A2 protein, human
  • NR4A3 protein, human
  • Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 1
  • Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 2
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • Receptors, Steroid
  • Receptors, Thyroid Hormone