Regulation factors of corticosteroid-binding globulin: lesson from ontogenesis

This short review summarizes recent data on corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG), especially enlightening results on regulation factors of CBG gene expression during ontogenesis. The role of CBG as a specific steroid carrier, a structurally conserved glycoprotein of 50-60 kD in vertebrate species, is well documented, but this knowledge has often been limited to the young or adult life since CBG levels are low in the neonate. However, CBG and CBG mRNA have been recently detected, sometimes, in relatively high amounts, in various fetal tissues of mammals including liver, lung, pancreas, adrenal and kidney. CBG can thus participate in glucocorticoid-inducible events crucial for maturation. Moreover, its original molecular cloning, followed by its chromosomal localization, has shed a new light on the CBG role, as a member of the serine protease inhibitors and substrates (SERPINS) superfamily. This evidenced a special and unexpected way of steroid hormones delivery to their sites of action. Additionally, two classes of CBG receptors have been characterized, and an adenylate cyclase activity has been measured when the CBG-glucocorticoid complex binds to cell membranes.