In vivo study of transcriptional decoding of the glucocorticoid ultradian rhythm. Corticosterone pulses elicit gene and tissue-specific mRNA expression patterns. Corticosterone pulses induce pulsatile repression of Pomc hnRNA in rat pituitary. Unlike the PFC, the pituitary exhibits pulsatile Sgk1 mRNA expression levels. Differential GR dynamics underlie tissue-specific transcriptional responsiveness.