Orphan nuclear receptor TR2, a mediator of preadipocyte proliferation, is differentially regulated by RA through exchange of coactivator PCAF with corepressor RIP140 on a platform molecule GRIP1.

Orphan nuclear receptor TR2 is a preadipocyte proliferator. Knockdown of TR2 in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes reduced their proliferation efficiency, whereas specific elevation of TR2 in these cells facilitated their proliferation. All-trans retinoic acid (RA) stimulates cellular proliferation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes by activating TR2 through an IR0-type RA response element, which further activates c-Myc expression. In post-differentiated adipocytes, RA becomes a repressive signal for TR2 and rapidly down-regulates its expression. The biphasic effect of RA on TR2 expression in 3T3-L1 is mediated by differential RA-dependent coregulator recruitment to the receptor/Glucocorticoid Receptor-Interacting Protein 1 (GRIP1) complex that binds IR0 on the TR2 promoter. RA induces the recruitment of histone acetyl transferase-containing/GRIP1/p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF) complex to the TR2 promoter in undifferentiated cells, whereas it triggers recruitment of histone deacetylase-containing/GRIP1/receptor-interacting protein 140 (RIP140) complex in differentiated cells. GRIP1 directly interacts with RIP140 through its carboxyl terminal AD2 domain. GRIP1 interacts with PCAF and RIP140 directly and differentially, functioning as a platform molecule to mediate differential RA-induced coregulator recruitment to TR2 promoter target. This results in a biphasic effect of RA on the expression of TR2 in undifferentiated and differentiated cells, which is required for RA-stimulated preadipocyte proliferation.