Nuclear receptors

Sf-1 is an orphan nuclear receptor that is essential for adrenocortical and gonadal formation.  Dax-1 is an atypical nuclear receptor that represses Sf-1 activity and appears to be involved in maintaining the pluripotency of adrenocortical stem cells.  We study signaling mechanisms that initiate the assembly of the orphan nuclear receptor SF-1 transcription complex and examine the cofactors involved as well as the effects of biochemical modifications of the factors.  Our studies utilize a combination of biochemical and proteomic technologies such as chromatin immunoprecipitation assays and tandem affinity purification protocols.