Nuclear receptor that binds DNA as a monomer to ROR response elements (RORE) containing a single core motif half-site 5'-AGGTCA-3' preceded by a short A-T-rich sequence. Considered to have intrinsic transcriptional activity, have some natural ligands such as all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and other retinoids which act as inverse agonists repressing the transcriptional activity. Required for normal postnatal development of rod and cone photoreceptor cells. Modulates rod photoreceptors differentiation at least by inducing the transcription factor NRL-mediated pathway. In cone photoreceptor cells, regulates transcription of OPN1SW. Involved in the regulation of the period length and stability of the circadian rhythm. May control cytoarchitectural patterning of neocortical neurons during development. May act in a dose-dependent manner to regulate barrel formation upon innervation of layer IV neurons by thalamocortical axons. May play a role in the suppression of osteoblastic differentiation through the inhibition of RUNX2 transcriptional activity. Isoform 1 is critical for hindlimb motor control and for the differentiation of amacrine and horizontal cells in the retina. Regulates the expression of PTF1A synergistically with FOXN4. Monomer. Interacts with CRX. Expressed in inner and outer neuroblastic layer as well as in the ganglion cell layer of the developing retina. Expressed in bone marrow osteoprogenitor cells. Expressed in the lateral cortical plate at 18.5 dpc and only very weakly expressed by cortical neurons at 15.5 dpc. Expression progressively increases in layer IV neurons of the prospective somatosensory, visual and auditory cortices. At much lower levels, also expressed by scattered neurons in layer V in these areas. By P4, expression is striking in the whisker barrel cortex of the somatosensory cortex. During retinal development, isoform 1 is broadly expressed in between 13.5 dpc and P5 then declines and is maintained at lower levels into adulthood. At 15.5 dpc, is expressed in the immature cochlea, brainstem, spinal cord and cerebral cortex. Isoform 2 is first detected at low levels at late embryonic stages (18.5 dpc), the expression highly increases during the first postnatal week and is maintained during the adulthood. Induced by aging in bone marrow. AF-2 (activation function-2) motif is required for recruiting coregulators containing the LXXLL motif, such as NCOA1, and control the transactivational activity. Mice are blind, show juvenile ataxia, duck gait, hind paw clasping reflex as well as delayed onset of male fertility. They suffer a degeneration of the retina during postnatal development with severe defects in photoreceptor cell morphology. Mice display reduced anxiety and learned helplessness-related behaviors. They also show a significant increase of the circadian period. Knockouts for isoform 1 display duck gait and lack amacrine and horizontal cells with an excess of ganglion cells in the retina (PubMed:23652001). Belongs to the nuclear hormone receptor family. NR1 subfamily. Intron retention. Intron retention.