title: How glucocorticoid receptors modulate the activity of other transcription factors: a scope beyond tethering.
abstract: The activity of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a nuclear receptor transcription factor belonging to subclass 3C of the steroid/thyroid hormone receptor superfamily, is typically triggered by glucocorticoid hormones. Apart from driving gene transcription via binding onto glucocorticoid response elements in regulatory regions of particular target genes, GR can also inhibit gene expression via transrepression, a mechanism largely based on protein:protein interactions. Hereby GR can influence the activity of other transcription factors, without contacting DNA itself. GR is known to inhibit the activity of a growing list of immune-regulating transcription factors. Hence, GCs still rule the clinic for treatments of inflammatory disorders, notwithstanding concomitant deleterious side effects. Although patience is a virtue when it comes to deciphering the many mechanisms GR uses to influence various signaling pathways, the current review is testimony of the fact that groundbreaking mechanistic work has been accumulating over the past years and steadily continues to grow.
authors.affiliation: Cytokine Receptor Lab, VIB Department of Medical Protein Research, VIB, UGent, Albert Baertsoenkaai 3, B-9000 Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: Dariusz.Ratman@vib-ugent.be.
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ratman
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Vanden Berghe
authors.forename: Lien
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dejager
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Libert
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tavernier
authors.forename: Ilse M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: Karolien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: De Bosscher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D063185:Epigenetic Repression; D006801:Humans; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000502:physiology*; D020218:Response Elements; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D014157:Transcription Factors; D011494:Protein Kinases