The location, orientation, and structure of the hormone regulatory elements (HRE) in nine hormonally modulated genes is described. Based on analysis of the contact points between the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and the DNA double helix within the HREs, a model for the interaction is proposed in which a dimer of the receptor in head-to-head orientation binds to the inverted symmetry element of the HRE. The relationship between the regulatory elements for glucocorticoids and progesterone in the long terminal repeat region (LTR) of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV), and in the promoter region of the chicken lysozyme gene, indicates that the recognition mechanism for both receptors is similar but not identical. Curiously, the hormone ligand is not an absolute requirement for the GR to bind its HRE, though it influences the kinetics of the interaction. Other possible functions of the hormone in vivo are discussed, as well as the molecular mechanism responsible for transcriptional regulation after receptor binding to the HRE.