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Nuclear Hormone Receptor

Meaning

A Nuclear Hormone Receptor is a class of intracellular protein receptors that, upon binding to a lipid-soluble hormone ligand like steroid hormones (e.g., estrogen, testosterone, cortisol) or thyroid hormones, directly translocate to the cell nucleus to function as a ligand-activated transcription factor. These receptors are the primary molecular machinery through which hormones exert their profound and long-lasting effects on gene expression and cellular differentiation. They are central to the mechanism of endocrine action.