Rational Design of a New RXR Agonist Scaffold Enabling Single-Subtype Preference for RXR alpha, RXR beta, and RXR gamma

The three retinoid X receptor subtypes (RXR alpha, RXR beta, RXR gamma) exhibit critical regulatory roles in cell proliferation and differentiation, metabolism, and inflammation. Due to their importance in nuclear receptor signaling, RXRs are widely distributed and pan-RXR agonists cause adverse effects, but the three highly conserved RXR ligand binding sites render the development of subtype-selective ligands a major challenge. We have fused elements of known RXR ligands to obtain a new RXR agonist chemotype on which minor structural modifications enabled the development of tools with single-subtype preference for RXR alpha, RXR beta, and RXR gamma. Molecular modeling indicated different binding conformations and interaction patterns with the RXR LBDs as factors of preferential binding. In a phenotypic adipocyte differentiation experiment, only the RXR alpha preferential tool enhanced the adipogenic effects of pioglitazone, suggesting this subtype as particularly relevant in adipogenesis and highlighting the set of subtype-preferential RXR agonist tools as suitable for functional cellular studies.