Nuclear receptor 4A2

NR4A2
Available structures
PDB	Ortholog search: PDBe RCSB
List of PDB id codes
	1OVL
Identifiers
Aliases	NR4A2, HZF-3, NOT, NURR1, RNR1, TINUR, nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 2
External IDs	OMIM: 601828; MGI: 1352456; HomoloGene: 4509; GeneCards: NR4A2; OMA:NR4A2 - orthologs
Gene location (Human)
Chr.	Chromosome 2 (human)
End	156,342,348 bp
Gene location (Mouse)
Chr.	Chromosome 2 (mouse)
End	57,014,015 bp
RNA expression pattern
	Top expressed in
	mucosa of paranasal sinus; ; gastric mucosa; ; trachea; ; spinal ganglia; ; cartilage tissue; ; mucosa of urinary bladder; ; cardia; ; seminal vesicula; ; trigeminal ganglion; ; tail of epididymis;
	Top expressed in
	habenula; ; ventral tegmental area; ; parotid gland; ; Region I of hippocampus proper; ; substantia nigra; ; lobe of cerebellum; ; cerebellar vermis; ; subiculum; ; epithelium of stomach; ; submandibular gland;
	More reference expression data
	; ; ; ;
	More reference expression data
Gene ontology
Molecular function	retinoid X receptor binding; protein homodimerization activity; sequence-specific DNA binding; beta-catenin binding; DNA-binding transcription activator activity, RNA polymerase II-specific; steroid hormone receptor activity; RNA polymerase II transcription regulatory region sequence-specific DNA binding; protein binding; glucocorticoid receptor binding; DNA-binding transcription factor activity; zinc ion binding; metal ion binding; DNA binding; protein heterodimerization activity; nuclear receptor activity; RNA polymerase II cis-regulatory region sequence-specific DNA binding; DNA-binding transcription factor activity, RNA polymerase II-specific;
Cellular component	cytoplasm; nucleus; nucleoplasm; nuclear speck; transcription regulator complex;
Biological process	dopaminergic neuron differentiation; cellular response to oxidative stress; response to hypoxia; response to amphetamine; nervous system development; neuron maturation; steroid hormone mediated signaling pathway; central nervous system projection neuron axonogenesis; regulation of transcription, DNA-templated; central nervous system neuron differentiation; negative regulation of apoptotic signaling pathway; cellular response to corticotropin-releasing hormone stimulus; positive regulation of transcription, DNA-templated; regulation of respiratory gaseous exchange; regulation of dopamine metabolic process; adult locomotory behavior; regulation of gene expression; habenula development; positive regulation of catalytic activity; fat cell differentiation; post-embryonic development; dopamine biosynthetic process; transcription initiation from RNA polymerase II promoter; negative regulation of neuron apoptotic process; canonical Wnt signaling pathway; general adaptation syndrome; neuron differentiation; signal transduction; dopamine metabolic process; transcription, DNA-templated; intracellular receptor signaling pathway; neuron migration; negative regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II; positive regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II; cellular response to extracellular stimulus; midbrain dopaminergic neuron differentiation; gene expression; transcription by RNA polymerase II;
	Sources:Amigo / QuickGO
Orthologs
	4929
	18227
	ENSG00000153234
	ENSMUSG00000026826
	P43354
	Q06219
	NM_006186; NM_173171; NM_173172; NM_173173
	NM_001139509; NM_013613
	NP_006177; NP_775265; NP_006177.1
	NP_001132981; NP_038641
	Wikidata
View/Edit Human	View/Edit Mouse

The nuclear receptor 4A2 (NR4A2) (nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 2) also known as nuclear receptor related 1 protein (NURR1) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the NR4A2 gene. NR4A2 is a member of the nuclear receptor family of intracellular transcription factors.

NR4A2 plays a key role in the maintenance of the dopaminergic system of the brain. Mutations in this gene have been associated with disorders related to dopaminergic dysfunction, including Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia. Misregulation of this gene may be associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Four transcript variants encoding four distinct isoforms have been identified for this gene. Additional alternate splice variants may exist, but their full-length nature has not been determined.

This protein is thought to be critical to development of the dopaminergic phenotype in the midbrain, as mice without NR4A2 are lacking expression of this phenotype. This is further confirmed by studies showing that forced NR4A2 expression in naïve precursor cells leads to complete dopaminergic phenotype gene expression.

While NR4A2 is a key protein in inducing this phenotype, there are other factors required, as expressing NR4A2 in isolation fails to produce it. One of these suggested factors is winged-helix transcription factor 2 (Foxa2). Studies have found these two factors to be within the same region of developing dopaminergic neurons, and both were required to have expression for the dopaminergic phenotype.