Ligand-binding domain of thyroid hormone receptors modulates DNA binding and determines their bifunctional roles.

We report here that the thyroid hormone receptors TR alpha and TR beta, and the retinoic acid receptor, RAR, can bind cooperatively to the thyroid hormone response elements (TRE) in both the presence and absence of ligand. Although the transcriptional synergism induced by such cooperative DNA binding could also be influenced by the position of the DNA-binding site on the promoter, the strength of the receptor-DNA interaction in the absence of the cognate ligand of each receptor was in general correlated with the repression activity. The strong-binding TRs, but not the weaker-binding RAR, allowed repression of a constitutive promoter. In addition, strong-binding receptors could repress transcriptional activation of weaker-binding receptors on the TRE. We also show here that the presence of thyroid hormone affects the cooperative DNA binding of TR beta to a TRE dimer by increasing the dissociation rate and decreasing the association rate of TR beta with the DNA. Hybrid receptor analysis revealed that receptor-DNA interaction and repressor activity are largely influenced by the ligand-binding domain of the receptor. We used deletion analysis to localize the sequences conferring a negative effect of thyroid hormone on TR beta binding to DNA and on receptor dimerization or oligomerization. Our data indicate that the ligand-binding domain of thyroid hormone receptors has an essential role in DNA binding and repressor functions, and that this domain exerts its effects by controlling receptor dimerization and oligomerization in the absence and presence of ligand.