The importance of being varied in steroid receptor transactivation

A major response of steroid receptors to steroid hormones is the induction of gene transcription. Two relevant, albeit less studied, properties of these receptors are the EC50 values of the receptor-agonist complexes and the partial agonist activity of the receptor-antagonist complexes. Contrary to earlier expectations, neither the EC50 value nor the partial agonist activity is constant for a given receptor-steroid complex. This variation is, however, beneficial to cells and organisms because it provides a mechanism both for differential control of gene expression by a single concentration of circulating hormone and for limiting side-effects during endocrine therapies. In this article, the factors and proposed mechanisms for the modulation of the EC50 value and partial agonist activity of receptor-steroid complexes are discussed.