Aldosterone-Mediated Renal Sodium Transport Requires Intact Mineralocorticoid Receptor DNA-Binding in the Mouse.

The classic role of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is to promote sodium transport in epithelial tissues. However, the MR is also expressed in a range of tissues in which its role appears unrelated to sodium transport, and under normal physiological conditions, it may be responding to cortisol (corticosterone in rodents) rather than aldosterone. The relative importance of transcriptional mechanisms such as classical genomic signaling via a hormone response element, transrepression of other transcription factors, and nongenomic signaling is not clear, particularly in nonepithelial tissues.