Steroids bind to which type of receptors in the cell?

Steroids bind to nuclear receptors, which are a class of intracellular receptors. These steroid hormones, being lipophilic, easily pass through the lipid bilayer of the cell membrane and enter the cytoplasm. Once inside the cell, they can either bind to cytoplasmic receptors or directly move to the nucleus to bind with nuclear receptors. The binding of steroids to nuclear receptors often leads to alterations in gene expression, affecting various biological processes such as metabolism, immune function, and development.

Nuclear receptors act as transcription factors—when the steroid hormone binds, it triggers a conformational change that allows the complex to bind to specific DNA sequences, modulating the transcription of target genes. This mechanism is critical for how steroids exert their effects on target tissues.

While other types of receptors, such as membrane-bound receptors and G-protein coupled receptors, are important for signaling pathways involving hydrophilic molecules (like peptides and neurotransmitters), steroids specifically interact with nuclear receptors due to their unique chemical properties.