Receptor for retinoic acid. Retinoic acid receptors bind as heterodimers to their target response elements in response to their ligands, all-trans or 9-cis retinoic acid, and regulate gene expression in various biological processes. The rar/rxr heterodimers bind to the retinoic acid response elements (RARE) composed of tandem 5'-AGGTCA-3' sites known as DR1-DR5. The high affinity ligand for rxrs is 9-cis retinoic acid (By similarity). Homodimer (By similarity). Heterodimer; with a rar molecule (By similarity). Binds DNA preferentially as a rar/rxr heterodimer (By similarity). Heterodimerizes with rarga. Shows uniform expression from the blastula to mid-gastrula stages. At 12 hours post-fertilization (hpf), expressed ubiquitously but more weakly. At 24 hpf, restricted to the ventral diencephalon, pharangeal endoderm and trunk and tail mesoderm; mesoderm expression is in medial cells of each somite along the dorsoventral axis, forming stripes. At 48 hpf, expressed in forebrain, eye, midbrain and anterior hindbrain. Expressed both maternally and zygotically. Composed of three domains: a modulating N-terminal domain, a DNA-binding domain and a C-terminal ligand-binding domain. Belongs to the nuclear hormone receptor family. NR2 subfamily.