Biophysics of disordered nuclear receptors and their DNA binding regulation

Heling, L.W.H.J. (2026)

Doctoral Thesis

This thesis investigates how intrinsically disordered N-terminal domains and allosteric modulators govern the structural dynamics and DNA-binding kinetics of nuclear receptors. This work demonstrates that intrinsic disorder is fundamentally critical for regulating receptor activity and, therefore, understanding these biophysical mechanisms provides a crucial foundation for the therapeutic targeting receptor-driven pathologies.

• Nuclear Receptors
• Intrinsically Disordered Protein Regions
• DNA binding proteins
• Single Molecule Fluorescence Microscopy
• Biochemistry
• Biophysics

• All authors: Heling, L.W.H.J.
• Supervisor: Mashaghi Tabari, A.; Roon-Mom, W.M.C. van
• Co-supervisor: Sheikhhassani, V.
• Committee: Eck, M. van; Lange, E.C.M. de; Houtsmuller, A.B.; Jespers, W.J; Meijer, O.C.; Wentink, A.S.
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR), Faculty of Science, Leiden University
• Date: 2026-06-25
• ISBN (print): 9789465374406