Determinants of cell- and gene-specific transcriptional regulation by the glucocorticoid receptor
2007

How the Glucocorticoid Receptor Controls Gene Activity

Sample size: 548 publication Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): So Alex Yick-Lun, Chaivorapol Christina, Bolton Eric C, Li Hao, Yamamoto Keith R

Primary Institution: University of California San Francisco

Hypothesis

Is GR occupancy a limiting factor for glucocorticoid response in A549 cells?

Conclusion

The study concludes that GR occupancy is a primary determinant of glucocorticoid responsiveness in A549 cells.

Supporting Evidence

  • GR occupancy was found to be predominantly near glucocorticoid-responsive genes in A549 cells.
  • 63% of GREs were located more than 10 kb from transcription start sites.
  • The core GR binding sequences varied widely but were conserved at individual GREs across species.

Takeaway

The glucocorticoid receptor helps control which genes are active in a cell, and it does this in a way that can be different for each type of cell.

Methodology

The study used chromatin immunoprecipitation-microarray (ChIP-chip) to identify GR binding regions in A549 cells.

Limitations

The study primarily focuses on A549 cells, which may not represent GR function in other cell types.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pgen.0030094

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