Mechanism of gene regulation by steroid hormones

A first understanding of the molecular events on the DNA level, underlying transcriptional regulation by steroid hormones, has been approached in the last 3 years by means of protein/DNA interaction studies, using purified receptors. This work summarizes our knowledge of how purified glucocorticoid and progestine receptors interact with their cognate regulatory elements associated with polymerase II dependent genes like mouse mammary tumour virus, the genes encoding human metallothionein IIA, chicken lysozyme, human growth hormone and rabbit uteroglobin. The resulting data agree with those of functional test systems, that have been gene-transfer experiments using stable transformants or transient expression. A consensus sequence for the regulatory element of the glucocorticoid receptor could be deduced that, in its three-dimensional representation, gives an impression of the steric mode of interaction. The regulatory elements of the progestine receptor overlap in two analysed cases with those of the glucocorticoid receptor, but are not identical. Furthermore, also a polymerase I transcribed gene encoding ribosomal RNA in the mouse could be shown to contain a glucocorticoid regulatory element that is functional in in vitro transcription experiments. Finally, the latest strategies are the cloning of the glucocorticoid receptor gene and the analysis of receptor-mediated topological effects.