Genetic dissection of glucocorticoid receptor function in the mouse brain

In the brain, glucocorticoids exert functions in neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity and behavioural responses, as well as in the control of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity. The generation of mice harbouring germline mutations that result either in loss or in gain of glucocorticoid receptor function provided a useful tool for understanding the role of glucocorticoids in the brain in vivo. The improvement of genomic technologies additionally allowed the establishment of mouse models with function-selective point mutations of the receptor as well as the generation of mice harbouring spatially and/or temporally restricted loss of glucocorticoid receptor, specifically within the brain. These models will provide the opportunity to better understand the mechanisms involved in glucocorticoid signalling within the nervous system.