In Silico Adoption of an Orphan Nuclear Receptor NR4A1

A 4.1 mu s molecular dynamics simulation of the NR4A1 (hNur77) apo-protein has been undertaken and a previously undetected druggable pocket has become apparent that is located remotely from the 'traditional' nuclear receptor ligand-binding site. A NR4A1/bisindole ligand complex at this novel site has been found to be stable over 1 mu s of simulation and to result in an interesting conformational transmission to a remote loop that has the capacity to communicate with a NBRE within a RXR-alpha/NR4A1 heterodimer. Several features of the simulations undertaken indicate how NR4A1 can be affected by alternate-site modulators.