Within the last two decades endocrinological research has taken a definite tum toward biochemistry and molecular biology. This has resulted in a new discipline called' 'molecular endocrinology. " Studies on the mechanism of hormone action have continued to make headlines with fundamental discov eries in receptor action and gene regulation. Recently the insect endocrino logists have also begun to explore the molecular mechanism of steroid hor mone action taking advantage of the vast number of Drosophila mutants, the library of Drosophila gene, and several well-characterized cell-lines. The availability ofthe recombinant DNA technology has provided a truly revolu tionary tool in the hands of the molecular endocrinologists. "Gene Regula tion by Steroid Hormones" is compiled and presented in this frontier spirit, and we hope that this volume will serve not only the active investigators in the field but will also be very useful to students and researchers with a gen eral interest in regulatory biology. The book is an offshoot of the Conference on Molecular Mechanism of Steroid Hormone Action held at the Meadow Brook Mansion of Oakland University in the fall of 1978. We wish to acknowledge the financial assist ance from the National Science Foundation and Oakland University. The conferees will never forget the warmest hospitality of Dr. LOWELL EKLUND and his staff at the Meadow Brook center and we also wish to express per sonal gratitude to many of our students and colleagues for helping us to make the conference a great success.

Inhalt
I Estrogens and Progestins.- 1. Steroid Hormone Action: Comments on the Nature of the Problem.- 2. The Structure and Regulation of the Natural Chicken Ovomucoid Gene.- 3. The Effect of Estrogen on Gene Expression in Avian Liver.- 4. Steroid-Hormone Modulation of Prolactin Action in the Rat Mammary Gland.- 5. Steroid Receptor Subunit Structure.- 6. Estrogen Receptor Heterogeneity and Uterotropic Response.- 7. Analysis of the Avian Progesterone Receptor with Inhibitors.- II Glucocorticoids.- 8. Molecular Mechanism of Glucocorticoid Action: An Historical Perspective.- 9. Multiple Actions of Glucocorticoids Studies in Cell Culture Systems.- 10. Studies on the Mechanism of Glucocorticoid Hormone Action.- III Androgens.- 11. Enigmas in the Molecular Biology of Androgen Action.- 12. Receptors and Factors Regulating Androgen Action in the Rat Ventral Prostate.- 13. The Mechanism of Androgen and Progestin Action on Mouse Kidney.- 14. Hormone-Dependent Expression of ?2U Globulin Gene in Rat Liver.- IV Ecdysteroids.- 15. Ecdysone: Introduction to the Molecular Mechanism of Steroid Action in Insects.- 16. Hormonal Control of Gene Expression and Development by Ecdysone in Drosophila.- 17. Ecdysteroid Receptors in Cultured Drosophila Cells.- 18. Ecdysteroid Hormone Effects on a Drosophila Cell Line.