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Steroid receptor family: structure and functions.
M A Carson-Jurica1, W T Schrader, B W O'Malley
1Department of Cell Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030.
Endocrine Reviews
|May 1, 1990
Summary
Steroid receptors act as signal transducers and transcription factors, functioning as modular proteins. Their activity involves complex mechanisms including hormone binding, DNA interaction, and transcriptional activation, with ongoing research into their precise roles.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Steroid receptors are crucial signal transducers and transcription factors.
- They belong to a superfamily of proteins with conserved mechanisms.
- Functional domains for hormone binding, DNA binding, and transcriptional activation are key.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the complex, multi-stage mechanism of steroid receptor action.
- To define the functional domains and specific amino acids involved in receptor activity.
- To explore the role of associated proteins, like HSP 90, in receptor regulation.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of cloned sequences to identify protein superfamily relationships.
- Functional domain mapping for hormone binding, DNA binding, and transcriptional activation.
- Identification of specific amino acids critical for receptor function.
Main Results:
- Steroid receptors are modular, with domains functioning independently.
- Hormone binding induces a transformation enabling DNA binding and transcriptional activation.
- Specific amino acids in the C1 region confer DNA binding specificity.
- Receptors likely bind DNA as dimers, and posttranslational modifications influence function.
Conclusions:
- Steroid receptor action is a complex, multi-step process.
- The modular nature of receptors allows for versatile function and domain interaction.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the inactive complex and regulatory mechanisms.