NR3C1 and Abnormal emotional state: The glucocorticoid receptor plays a critical role in HPA responses to stress through negative feedback on glucocorticoid release, and exposure to prenatal psychological distress has been associated with increased offspring NR3C1 DNA methylation (Braithwaite et al. 2015; Oberlander et al. 2008; Radtke et al. 2011).