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Corticosteroid actions in hippocampus require DNA binding of glucocorticoid receptor homodimers

Abstract

Glucocorticoids are secreted from the adrenal gland in very high amounts after stress. In the brain, these stress hormones potently modulate ionic currents, monoaminergic transmission, synaptic plasticity and cellular viability1,2,3, most notably in the hippocampus where corticosteroid receptors are highly enriched4. Here we show that at least some of these actions require DNA binding of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) homodimers.

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Figure 1: Calcium current amplitude is enhanced by GR activation in wild-type but not GRdim/dim mutant mice.
Figure 2: Responses to 5-HT are enhanced by GR activation in wild-type but not GRdim/dim mutant mice.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants GRN #94-005, NWO #900-95-312 and EC #96-0179. We thank Marc Fluttert, Jeannette Grootendorst, Wytse Wadman, Gerard Borst and Simon van Mechelen.

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Correspondence to M. Joëls.

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Karst, H., Karten, Y., Reichardt, H. et al. Corticosteroid actions in hippocampus require DNA binding of glucocorticoid receptor homodimers. Nat Neurosci 3, 977–978 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/79910

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