Final answer:
The glucocorticoid receptor is the protein that activates several genes in response to glucocorticoid hormones by binding to glucocorticoid response elements as a zinc-finger transcription factor.
Step-by-step explanation:
The protein that can activate transcription of several genes involved in the glucocorticoid response when the hormone binds to it is the glucocorticoid receptor. This receptor is part of a larger group of proteins known as the nuclear receptor superfamily, which includes receptors for various steroid hormones. When a glucocorticoid hormone binds to the glucocorticoid receptor, they form a complex that can recognize and bind to specific DNA sequences, known as glucocorticoid response elements, inducing the transcription of target genes. Glucocorticoid receptors are also zinc-finger transcription factors, which utilize zinc atoms to stabilize their DNA-binding structures.