Transcriptional regulation of episodic glucocorticoid secretion

► Basal and stress-induced adrenal glucocorticoid secretion are episodic. ► Episodic secretion parallels episodes of steroidogenic protein gene transcription. ► ACTH mediates ultradian and stress-induced transcriptional episodes. ► Nuclear localization of the co-activator, TORC, precedes transcriptional activation. ► TORC regulation may play a key role in transcriptional pulse generation.