Corticosteroids, which are produced in response to stress, have a significant impact on the brain and behavior. Mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors, which are abundantly expressed in limbic neurons, mediate these actions. Mineralocorticoid receptors have never been well known in higher brain processes. The low-affinity membrane form of the mineralocorticoid receptor, which was newly found, contributes to the early phase of the stress reaction, which is reinforced by the glucocorticoid receptor, which terminates the stress response. This theory could explain why people with a mineralocorticoid receptor gene variation have increased neuroendocrine and autonomic sensitivity to psychological stress.
