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Abstract
The characterization of the subfamily of steroid hormone receptors has enhanced our
understanding of how a set of hormonally derived lipophilic ligands controls cellular
and molecular functions to influence development and help achieve homeostasis. The
glucocorticoid receptor (GR), the first member of this subfamily, is a ubiquitously
expressed intracellular protein, which functions as a ligand-dependent transcription
factor that regulates the expression of glucocorticoid-responsive genes. The effector
domains of the GR mediate transcriptional activation by recruiting coregulatory multi-subunit
complexes that remodel chromatin, target initiation sites, and stabilize the RNA-polymerase
II machinery for repeated rounds of transcription of target genes. This review summarizes
the basic aspects of the structure and actions of the human (h) GR, and the molecular
basis of its biologic functions.