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N-Terminal Domain

Meaning

The N-Terminal Domain (NTD) refers to the amino-terminal end of a protein or polypeptide chain, which is characterized by the presence of a free amino group (-NH2). This region is the first part of the protein to be synthesized during translation and often plays a critical role in determining the protein’s overall structure, stability, and function. In the context of nuclear receptors, such as the estrogen or androgen receptors, the NTD is frequently a large, intrinsically disordered region responsible for potent transcriptional activation, often independent of ligand binding.