Epigenetic Mechanisms of the Glucocorticoid Receptor

Andrew A Bartlett; Hannah E Lapp; Richard G Hunter

doi:10.1016/j.tem.2019.07.003

Epigenetic Mechanisms of the Glucocorticoid Receptor

Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2019 Nov;30(11):807-818. doi: 10.1016/j.tem.2019.07.003.

Authors

Andrew A Bartlett¹, Hannah E Lapp¹, Richard G Hunter²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA 02125, USA.
² Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA 02125, USA. Electronic address: Richard.Hunter@umb.edu.

PMID: 31699238
DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2019.07.003

Abstract

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) has been shown to be important for mediating cellular responses to stress and circulating glucocorticoids. Ligand-dependent transcriptional changes induced by GR are observed across numerous tissues. However, the mechanisms by which GR achieves cell and tissue-specific effects are less clear. Epigenetic mechanisms have been proposed to explain some of these differences as well as some of the lasting, even transgenerational, effects of stress and glucocorticoid action. GR functions in tandem with epigenetic cellular machinery to coordinate transcription and shape chromatin structure. Here, we describe GR interactions with these effectors and how GR acts to reshape the epigenetic landscape in response to the environment.

Keywords: DNA methylation; epigenetic; glucocorticoid; histone; noncoding RNA; stress.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
DNA Methylation / physiology
Epigenesis, Genetic / genetics*
Glucocorticoids / metabolism
Humans
RNA, Untranslated / genetics
RNA, Untranslated / metabolism
Receptors, Glucocorticoid / metabolism*

Substances

Glucocorticoids
RNA, Untranslated
Receptors, Glucocorticoid