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Updated: Jun 27, 2026
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A Chemical Screening Procedure for Glucocorticoid Signaling with a Zebrafish Larva Luciferase Reporter System
Published on: September 10, 2013
Secretory Bioluminescent Reporter Sensor for Functional Assessment of Glucocorticoids In Vitro and In Vivo
Keshab Lal Shrestha1,2, Euiyeon Lee3,2, Neethu Ramakrishnan1,2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul04620, Korea.
ACS Sensors
|June 26, 2026
Summary
We developed a novel biosensor for real-time glucocorticoid detection. This genetically encoded system accurately measures glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activity in living organisms, offering a significant advancement for endocrine research and diagnostics.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Molecular Biology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Accurate assessment of glucocorticoid activity is vital for understanding stress responses and endocrine regulation.
- Current detection methods like immunoassays and mass spectrometry have limitations in specificity, real-time measurement, and sample processing.
- There is a need for sensitive, specific, and dynamic methods for quantifying glucocorticoid activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel, secretion-based, genetically encoded biosensor for real-time detection of glucocorticoid activity.
- To overcome the limitations of conventional glucocorticoid detection methods.
- To enable functional assessment of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activation and monitoring of stress responses.
Main Methods:
- Engineered a genetically encoded biosensor utilizing intein-mediated protein splicing triggered by GR activation.
- Designed a system where ligand binding induces GR nuclear translocation, initiating protein splicing and secretion of a luciferase reporter.
- Validated the sensor's performance in vitro and in vivo using cell-based assays and preclinical mouse models.
Main Results:
- The biosensor exhibited dose-dependent luminescent responses to glucocorticoids (0.1 nM–10 μM) with a 10 nM detection limit and a 5-minute response time.
- Demonstrated selective discrimination between functional GR agonists and inactive analogues.
- Successfully detected endogenous corticosterone levels in mice, reflecting basal and stress-induced fluctuations.
Conclusions:
- The developed secretion-based biosensor provides a dynamic and functionally relevant method for assessing glucocorticoid activity.
- This platform supports real-time monitoring of stress responses, ligand screening, and mechanistic studies in preclinical models.
- The system shows promise for ex vivo analysis of human biofluids, with potential applications in clinical diagnostics and drug development.
