What are some known roles or correlations of glucocorticoid receptor function to behaviour?

Question

The NR3C1 gene encodes for a neuron-specific glucocorticoid receptor (GR), of which methylation levels have been shown to relate to altered maternal care and stress response in rodents (Weaver et al., 2004) and to suicide in humans (McGowan et al., 2009).

I am wondering what other behaviours and phenotypes could or has GR function been associated with?

Answer 1

First off, the question is superbly broad and it would have faced closure if it would be asked at the time of this writing. Nonetheless, given the high number of upvotes I think it deserves an answer. Note that my answer is just a small bunch of behaviors associated with the NR3C1 gene, as based on a cursory Google Scholar search, using the terms 'NR3C1 + behavior'.

• NR3C1 gene polymorphisms have been associated with alcohol and drug abuse (Zen et al, 2010), aggression (Li et al., 2017) and suicide (Park et al., 2016)
• NR3C1 hypermethylation has been associated with being bullied or lacking friends (Efstathopoulos et al., 2018 and with PTSD (Vukojevic et al., 2016)
• Cry acoustics in infants is associated with methylation pre-term (Sheinkopf et al., 2016)

<sub>References
- Efstathopoulos et al., Translat Psychiatry (2018); 8(121)
- Sheinkopf et al., Front Behav Neurosci (2016)
- Li et al., Genet Test Mol Biomarkers (2017); 21(8): 497-505
- Park et al., Behav Brain Functions (2016); 12:22
- Vukojevic et al., J Neurosci (2014); 34(31): 10274-84 - Zhen et al., Prev Sci (2016)</sub>

Answer 2

Previously: All cells have receptors for glucorticoids, see these sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucocorticoid_receptor
• Neil R. Carlson. (1993). Physiology of Behavior. Page 404.

You do not want us to include in our response all effects on the behavior of all the cells of the body (in animals and humans of course) (with direct functions or modulating function of course).

In this specific case it does not work safeguard in the subject raised saying: I ask for the gene .. since in that case you would ask about the behavioral functions of that gene ... and we are in the same situation. Or maybe I did not understand your intelligent question.