The present invention relates to methods to use non-steroidal ligands in nuclear receptor-based inducible gene expression system to modulate exogenous gene expression in which an ecdysone receptor complex comprising: a DNA binding domain a ligand binding domain a transactivation domain and a ligand is contacted with a DNA construct comprising: the exogenous gene and a response element wherein the exogenous gene is under the control of the response element and binding of the DNA binding domain to the response element in the presence of the ligand results in activation or suppression of the gene.
