Orphan nuclear receptor TR3 acts in autophagic cell death via mitochondrial signaling pathway.

TR3 is an orphan nuclear receptor with roles in apoptosis. A TR3-binding compound induces mitochondrial translocation of TR3 and autophagy via the Nix–Toms–ANT1/VDAC1 pathway, providing a mechanism for cell death in melanoma cells that are resistant to spontaneous and drug-induced apoptosis.