The focus of our research is to study the role of co-activators and nuclear hormone receptors in health and disease. In our laboratory NRC was cloned as a nuclear hormone receptor co-activator. Subsequent studies have shown that NRC activates a number of transcription factors including cFos, cJun, NFkB, CREB, Stat2 and p53. We have shown using NRC knockout mice that NRC functions as a pleiotropic modulator affecting embryonic growth and development, cell proliferation, apoptosis, reproduction and wound healing. Targeted disruption of NRC in select tissues serves an excellent model system to study the role of NRC in cellular homeostasis. Recent studies suggest the involvement of co-activators in various components of metabolic syndrome. We are using various strategies to study the role of NRC and its associated factors in fat, energy metabolism and cellular homeostasis.