B.F. Luisi, W.X. Xu,
Ben Luisi (Medical Research Council, Glasgow, U.K.): "The glucocorticoid receptor is activated by its steroid ligand to migrate to the nucleus, where it associates with specific DNA sites and modulates expression of target genes. A small domain in the protein directs the DNA target specificity, and my colleagues and I have determined the three-dimensional crystal structure of this segment in complex with DNA. The structural observations have provided a strong foundation for interpreting the functional properties of the receptor. Furthermore, the corresponding domain is highly conserved among a large family of related receptors, so our observations have also permitted the interpretation of extensive functional studies of many related proteins, including various cases of receptor dysfunction associated with human disease.
"The crystal structure has elucidated amino acid...
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