Importins and Exportins Regulating Allergic Immune Responses

Figure 4

Activation of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and control of allergic inflammation:corticosteroids are lipophilic in nature and cross the bilipid membrane to bind to their receptors in the cytoplasm. The nuclear localization signal (NLS) on steroid-receptor complex can be recognized by importin α, importin 7, or importin 13 to transport the steroid-receptor complex to the nucleus to bind to glucocorticoid-response element (GRE) to induce the transcription of several genes that elicit anti-inflammatory effect. Also, the steroid-receptor complex in the cytoplasm can also induce effects on the nuclear transport of activated transcription factors by either inhibiting the binding of activated transcription factors to importins or increasing the inhibitory molecules, such as prohibitin, in the cytoplasm.