What hormones regulate protein synthesis?

Steroid hormones pass through the cell membrane and bind to a specific steroid hormone receptor protein. The combined steroid and receptor protein then bind to a specific sequence of bases in the DNA molecule. This sequence of bases is part of the promotor of a gene. Binding of the steroid - receptor complex either activates (switches on) or represses (switches off) the gene which is controlled by that promotor. If the gene is switched on then it will produce mRNA (transcription) which will lead to the sysnthesis of protein (translation). If the gene is switched off then mRNA will not be produced and no protein will be synthesised. In summary, steroid hormones can act to operate 'switches' for genes, switching protein synthesis on or off. See: http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/S/SteroidREs.html http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/P/Promoter.html http://Biology.about.com/od/cellularprocesses/a/aa073004a.htm http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/moaction/intracell.html