DNA-binding domain of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is composed of two C4-type zinc fingers
DNA-binding domains of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and progesterone receptor (PR) are composed of two C4-type zinc fingers. Each zinc finger contains a group of four Cys residues which co-ordinate a single zinc atom. The DBD from both receptors interact with the same hormone response element (HRE), which is an imperfect palindrome GGTACAnnnTGTTCT, upstream of target genes and modulates the rate of transcriptional initiation. GR is a transcriptional regulator that mediates the biological effects of glucocorticoids and PR regulates genes controlled by progesterone. GR is expressed in almost every cell in the body and regulates genes controlling a wide variety of processes including the development, metabolism, and immune response of the organism. PR functions in a variety of biological processes including development of the mammary gland, regulating cell cycle progression, protein processing, and metabolism. Like other members of the nuclear receptor (NR) superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors, GR and PR have a central well conserved DNA binding domain (DBD), a variable N-terminal domain, a non-conserved hinge and a C-terminal ligand binding domain (LBD).