Which description best characterizes cytoplasmic receptors?

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Cytoplasmic receptors are designed to detect signaling molecules that can cross the plasma membrane. When such a ligand enters the cell and binds in the cytoplasm, the receptor undergoes a conformational change that often enables the receptor–ligand complex to influence gene expression, typically by moving into the nucleus or activating transcriptional machinery. This is why the description that the ligand crosses the membrane, the receptor changes shape, and the ligand may influence gene expression best captures how these receptors work.

Think of how steroid hormone receptors operate: small, lipophilic molecules diffuse through the membrane, bind their cytoplasmic receptor, and the activated complex can regulate transcription. The idea that cytoplasmic receptors are always membrane-bound is incorrect, as is the notion that they only respond to intact proteins. And while some signaling pathways affect other cellular processes, many cytoplasmic receptor systems do ultimately regulate gene expression, so saying they do not would miss a key outcome of this signaling mode.