Receptor for retinoic acid that acts as a transcription factor (PubMed:7565671). Forms homo- or heterodimers with retinoic acid receptors (rars) and binds to target response elements in response to their ligands, all-trans or 9-cis retinoic acid, to regulate gene expression in various biological processes (By similarity). The rar/rxr heterodimers bind to the retinoic acid response elements (RARE) composed of tandem 5'-AGGTCA-3' sites known as DR1-DR5 to regulate transcription (By similarity). The high affinity ligand for rxrs is 9-cis retinoic acid (By similarity). In the absence of ligand, the rar/rxr heterodimers associate with a multiprotein complex containing transcription corepressors that induce histone deacetylation, chromatin condensation and transcriptional suppression (By similarity). On ligand binding, the corepressors dissociate from the receptors and coactivators are recruited leading to transcriptional activation (By similarity). Homodimer. Heterodimer; with a rar molecule. Binds DNA preferentially as a rar/rxr heterodimer. Uniform expression from the blastula to mid-gastrula stages. At 12 hours post-fertilization (hpf), expressed strongly in the tail and weakly elsewhere. At 24 hpf, weak expression in the forebrain, eyes and pharyngeal endoderm and continued expression in the tail mesoderm. At 48 hpf, anterior expression limited to ventral cells underlying the head, medial expression in the pectoral fin bud mesoderm and continued tail expression. 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.