Mapping Ignorance: The skin I live in: the mineralocorticoid receptor
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The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is an atypical nuclear receptor. In principle, it may seem a mere receptor with a specific ligand and an evident role: it is capable of detecting mineralocorticoids (like aldosterone), exerting an essential function controlling sodium and water reabsorption in the kidneys. In fact, knockout mice lacking MR die shortly after being born due to dehydration.
But things are not so easy in the biological world. The historical simplification “one gene, one function” is far from reality. With time, several experiments have shown the implication of MR in a broader range of processes and tissues, like, for instance, the skin. In this respect it has been proved that: