Ciprofibrate, a potent peroxisome proliferator, induces pleiotropic responses in liver by activating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha), a nuclear receptor. Transcriptional regulation by liganded nuclear receptors involves the participation of coregulators that form multiprotein complexes possibly to achieve cell and gene specific transcription. SDS-PAGE and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometric analyses of ciprofibrate-binding proteins from liver nuclear extracts obtained using ciprofibrate-Sepharose affinity matrix resulted in the identification of a new high molecular weight nuclear receptor coactivator, which we designated PRIC320. The full-length human cDNA encoding this protein has an open-reading frame that codes for a 320 kDa protein containing 2882 amino acids. PRIC320 contains five LXXLL signature motifs that mediate interaction with nuclear receptors. PRIC320 binds avidly to nuclear receptors PPAR alpha, CAR, ER alpha, and RXR, but only minimally with PPAR gamma. PRIC320 also interacts with transcription cofactors CBP, PRIP, and PBP. Immunoprecipitation-immunoblotting as well as cellular localization Studies confirmed the interaction between PPAR alpha and PRIC320. PRIC320 acts as a transcription coactivator by stimulating PPAR alpha-mediated transcription. We conclude that ciprofibrate, a PPAR alpha ligand, binds a multiprotein complex and PRIC320 cloned from this complex functions as a nuclear receptor coactivator. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.