When ligand binds to the complex, it induces a conformational change allowing the recruitment of coactivators, histone acetyltransferases, and the basic transcription machinery.

[10] Translocations that always involve rearrangement of the RARA gene are a cardinal feature of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL; MIM 612376).

Under normal circumstances, PML produces a tumor suppressing protein that works by inhibiting uncontrolled rapid cell growth.

When the two proteins fuse together, their normal functions are hindered, resulting in the accumulation of promyelocytes in the bone marrow unable to differentiate past this immature phase.

[citation needed] This article incorporates text from the United States National Library of Medicine, which is in the public domain.