Does cortisol work by direct gene activation?
Hormones carry messages throughout the body, sometimes producing their effects by turning certain genes on or off. Cortisol appears to perform its functions by more than one route, including direct gene activation.CortisolCortisol fortifies you against stress largely by stimulating the breakdown of body protein and fat, according to the book “Human Physiology, Eighth Edition,” by Arthur Vander et al.Signal TransductionLike other hormones, cortisol works through signal transduction, a process by which it triggers a cascade of molecular reactions inside each cell it targets, according to the book “Biology, Fifth Edition,” by Neil Campbell et al.Gene ActivationSignal transduction can eventuate in almost any imaginable cellular activity, including activation of specific genes, note Campbell et al.Non-GenomicResearch on fish (tilapia) suggests that cortisol can produce effects without activating genes, states an article posted in Pub Med.GenomicOther research, also using tilapia, suggests t
