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Updated: Dec 12, 2025

A Chemical Screening Procedure for Glucocorticoid Signaling with a Zebrafish Larva Luciferase Reporter System
Published on: September 10, 2013
Stress, glucocorticoid signaling pathway, and metabolic disorders
1Joint Division Molecular Metabolic Control, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance and Network Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Keio Global Research Institute (KGRI) and Department of Pharmacology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Czech Centre for Phenogenomics (CCP), Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec, Czech Republic.
Background And Aims:
Glucocorticoids and the GR serve as an essential molecular mediator of stress and different physiologic processes. This review summarizes main findings from studies on the role of the GC/GR signaling in the modulation of genes for nutrient processing by the different organs involved in metabolic diseases.
Methods:
Descriptive review of relevant papers known to the author was conducted.
Results:
Several high-throughput screenings in the past 15 years have identified potential GR DNA-binding regions in different cell types with genes that are annotated to be important for the control of metabolism. Transcriptional regulation of these GC-responsive genes provides links between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) and systemic energy homeostasis in both physiological and pathophysiological states. Future studies must reconsider the use of agonist, the utilization of animal models of stress and metabolic disorders, and validation in humans.
Conclusion:
This review recapitulates the significant role of the GC/GR signaling in molecular metabolic control and metabolic disorders. Potential future research focus and optimizations have also been identified.
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