NR2E3,also known as PNR,encodes a retinal nuclear receptor that is a ligand-dependent transcription factor. This protein is part of a large family of nuclear receptor transcription factors involved in signaling pathways. NR2E3 influences the development of photoreceptors and their differentiation into rod and cone types,and acts as a ranscriptional factor that is an activator of rod development and repressor of cone development . It binds the promoter region of a number of rod- and cone-specific genes,including rhodopsin,M- and S-opsin and rod-specific phosphodiesterase beta subunit.