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RA Receptors (ra + receptor)
Selected AbstractsRetinoids and spermatogenesis: Lessons from mutant mice lacking the plasma retinol binding proteinDEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 6 2006Norbert B. Ghyselinck Abstract Using Rbp4 -null mice as models, we have established for the first time the kinetics of the spermatogenetic alterations during vitamin A deficiency (VAD). Our data demonstrate that the VAD-induced testicular degeneration arises through the normal maturation of germ cells in a context of spermatogonia differentiation arrest. They indicate that retinoic acid (RA) appears dispensable for the transition of premeiotic to meiotic spermatocytes, meiosis, and spermiogenesis. They confirm that RA plays critical roles in controlling spermatogonia differentiation, spermatid adhesion to Sertoli cells, and spermiation, and suggest that the VAD-induced arrest of spermatogonia differentiation results from simultaneous blocks in RA-dependent events mediated by RA receptor , (RAR,) in spermatogonia and by RAR, in Sertoli cells. They also provide evidence that expression of major RA-metabolizing enzymes is increased in mouse Sertoli cells upon VAD and that vitamin A-deficient A spermatogonia differ from their RA-sufficient counterparts by the expression of the Stra8 gene. Developmental Dynamics 235:1608,1622, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Retinoids directly activate the collagen X promoter in prehypertrophic chondrocytes through a distal retinoic acid response elementJOURNAL OF CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 1 2006Arthur J. Cohen Abstract Retinoids are essential for the terminal differentiation of chondrocytes during endochondral bone formation. This maturation process is characterized by increased cell size, expression of a unique extracellular matrix protein, collagen X, and eventually by mineralization of the matrix. Retinoids stimulate chondrocyte maturation in cultured cells and experimental animals, as well as in clinical studies of synthetic retinoids; furthermore, retinoid antagonists prevent chondrocyte maturation in vivo. However, the mechanisms by which retinoids regulate this process are poorly understood. We and others showed previously that retinoic acid (RA) stimulates expression of genes encoding bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), suggesting that retinoid effects on chondrocyte maturation may be indirect. However, we now show that RA also directly stimulates transcription of the collagen X gene promoter. We have identified three RA response element (RARE) half-sites in the promoter, located 2,600 nucleotides upstream from the transcription start site. These three half-sites function as two overlapping RAREs that share the middle half-site. Ablation of the middle half-site destroys both elements, abolishing RA receptor (RAR) binding and drastically decreasing RA stimulation of transcription. Ablation of each of the other two half-sites destroys only one RARE, resulting in an intermediate level of RAR binding and transcriptional stimulation. These results, together with our previously published data, indicate that retinoids stimulate collagen X transcription both directly, through activation of RARs, and indirectly, through increased BMP production. J. Cell. Biochem. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Retinoic acid is a potential negative regulator for differentiation of human periodontal ligament cellsJOURNAL OF PERIODONTAL RESEARCH, Issue 6 2005Natsuko Shibuya Background and objectives:, Retinoic acid (RA) exerts a wide variety of effects on development, cellular differentiation and homeostasis in various tissues. However, little is known about the effects of RA on the differentiation of periodontal ligament cells. In this study, we investigated whether RA can affect the dexamethasone-induced differentiation of periodontal ligament cells. Methods and results:, Human periodontal ligament cells were differentiated via culturing in the presence of dexamethasone, ascorbic acid, and ,-glycerophosphate for mineralized nodule formation, as characterized by von Kossa staining. Continuous treatment with all- trans -RA inhibited the mineralization in a dose-dependent manner, with complete inhibition over 1 µm RA. Other RA analogs, 9- cis -RA and 13- cis -RA, were also effective. Furthermore, addition of RA for just the first 4 days completely inhibited the mineralization; however, as RA was added at later stages of culture, the inhibitory effect was diminished, suggesting that RA had a phase-dependent inhibition of mineralization. RA receptor (RAR)-, agonist (AM-580), but not retinoid X receptor agonist (methoprene acid), inhibited the mineralization, and reverse transcription,polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that RAR-, was expressed on the cells, suggesting that RAR-, was involved in the inhibitory mechanism. This inhibition was accompanied by inhibition of alkaline phosphatase activity; however, neither expression of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor-,, PDGF receptor-,, or epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, nor phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases triggered by PDGF-ascorbic acid or PDGF-BB was changed, as assessed by flow cytometry or western blot analyses. Conclusions:, These findings suggest that RA is a potential negative regulator for differentiation of human periodontal ligament cells. [source] Retinoids and nonvertebrate chordate developmentDEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 7 2006Shigeki Fujiwara Abstract Retinoic acid (RA) is required for the differentiation and morphogenesis of chordate-specific features, such as the antero-posterior regionalization of the dorsal hollow nerve cord and neural crest cells. RA receptors (RARs) have been reported exclusively in chordates, suggesting that the acquisition of the RAR gene was important for chordate evolution. A scenario is presented here for the establishment of an RAR-mediated developmental regulatory system during the course of chordate evolution. In the common chordate ancestor, RAR came to control the spatial expression pattern of Hox genes in the ectoderm and endoderm along the antero-posterior axis. In these germ layers, RA was required for the differentiation of epidermal sensory neurons and the morphogenesis of pharyngeal gill slits, respectively. As the diffuse epidermal nerve net in the chordate ancestor became centralized to form the dorsal nerve cord, the epidermal Hox expression pattern was carried into the central nervous system. Because the Hox code here came to specify neuronal identity along the antero-posterior axis, RA became inextricably linked to the antero-posterior patterning of the chordate central nervous system. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Neurobiol 66: 645,652, 2006 [source] Differential regulation of protein expression, growth and apoptosis by natural and synthetic retinoidsJOURNAL OF CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2003M.A. Christine Pratt Abstract All- trans retinoic acid (ATRA) can down regulate the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and the cell cycle proteins cyclin D1 and cdk2 in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells. We show here that retinoids can also reduce expression of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein, survivin. Here we have compared the regulation of these proteins in MCF-7 and ZR-75 breast cancer cells by natural and synthetic retinoids selective for the RA receptors (RARs) ,, ,, and , then correlated these with growth inhibition, induction of apoptosis and chemosensitization to Taxol. In both cell lines ATRA and 9- cis RA induced the most profound decreases in cyclin D1 and cdk2 expression and also mediated the largest growth inhibition. The RAR, agonist, Ro 40-6055 also strongly downregulated these proteins although did not produce an equivalent decrease in S-phase cells. Only ATRA induced RAR, expression. ATRA, 9- cis RA and 4-HPR initiated the highest level of apoptosis as determined by mitochondrial Bax translocation, while only ATRA and 9- cis RA strongly reduced Bcl-2 and survivin protein expression. Enumeration of dead cells over 96 h correlated well with downregulation of both survivin and Bcl-2. Simultaneous retinoid-mediated reduction of both these proteins also predicted optimal Taxol sensitization. 4-HPR was much weaker than the natural retinoids with respect to Taxol sensitization, consistent with the proposed requirement for reduced Bcl-2 in this synergy. Neither the extent of cell cycle protein regulation nor AP-1 inhibition fully predicted the antiproliferative effect of the synthetic retinoids suggesting that growth inhibition requires regulation of a spectrum of RAR-regulated gene products in addition even to pivotal cell cycle proteins. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Retinoic acid induces expression of the interleukin-1, gene in cultured normal human mammary epithelial cells and in human breast carcinoma linesJOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 2 2002Limin Liu Retinoic acid (RA) and its derivatives inhibit the proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) and some breast carcinoma lines by mechanisms which are not fully understood. To identify genes that mediate RA-induced cell growth arrest, an HMEC cDNA library was synthesized and subtractive screening was performed. We identified the interleukin-1, (IL-1,) gene as an RA induced gene in HMEC. Northern blot analyses showed that the IL-1, gene was up-regulated as early as 2 h after RA treatment. Results from the treatment of HMEC with cycloheximide and actinomycin D indicated that the regulation of the IL-1, gene by RA occurred at the transcriptional level and that the IL-1, gene is a direct, downstream target gene of RA. To evaluate the effects of IL-1, on cell proliferation, the proliferation of HMEC was measured in the presence of RA or IL-1,, or both. Either RA or IL-1, could significantly inhibit the proliferation of HMEC. However, the addition of soluble IL-1 receptor antagonist (sIL-1ra) to the cell culture medium did not block RA-induced HMEC growth inhibition, whereas sIL-1ra did block the growth inhibition of HMEC by IL-1,. IL-1, expression was not observed in the three carcinoma cell lines, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-468, as compared to the HMEC. Growth curves of the breast carcinoma cell lines showed strong inhibitory effects of RA and IL-1, on the growth of the estrogen receptor (ER) positive MCF-7 cell line, but only a small effect on the ER negative MDA-MB-231 cells. The expression of the IL-1, gene was also transcriptionally activated by RA in normal epithelial cells of prostate and oral cavity. Our results suggest that: (a) the IL-1, gene is a primary target of RA receptors in HMEC; (b) the enhanced expression of the IL-1, gene does not mediate the RA-induced growth arrest of HMEC; and (c) the expression of the IL-1, gene is low or absent in all three human breast carcinoma cell lines examined, but the defect in the IL-1, signaling pathway may be different in ER positive versus ER negative carcinoma cells. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Ethanol Impairs Activation of Retinoic Acid Receptors in Cerebellar Granule Cells in a Rodent Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum DisordersALCOHOLISM, Issue 5 2010Ambrish Kumar Background:, Ethanol is the main addictive and neurotoxic constituent of alcohol. Ethanol exposure during embryonic development causes dysfunction of the central nervous system (CNS) and leads to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. The cerebellum is one of the CNS regions that are particularly vulnerable to ethanol toxic effects. Retinoic acid (RA) is a physiologically active metabolite of vitamin A that is locally synthesized in the cerebellum. Studies have shown that RA is required for neuronal development, but it remains unknown if ethanol impairs RA signaling and thus induces neuronal malformations. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that ethanol impairs the expression and activation of RA receptors in cerebellum and in cerebellar granule cells. Methods:, The cerebellum of ethanol unexposed and exposed pups was used to study the expression of retinoic acid receptors (RARs or RXRs) by immunohistochemistry and by Western blot analysis. We also studied the effect of ethanol on expression of RA receptors in the cerebellar granule cells. Activation of RA receptors (DNA-binding activities) in response to high-dose ethanol was determined by electrophoretic mobility shift and supershift assays. Results:, Findings from these studies demonstrated that ethanol exposure reduced the expression of RAR,/, while it increased the expression of RXR,/, in the cerebellum and in cerebellar granule neurons. Immuno-histological studies further strengthened the expression pattern of RA receptors in response to ethanol. The DNA-binding activity of RARs was reduced, while DNA-binding activity of RXRs was increased in response to ethanol exposure. Conclusion:, For the first time, our studies have demonstrated that high-dose ethanol affects the expression and activation of RA receptors, which could impair the signaling events and induce harmful effects on the survival and differentiation of cerebellar granule cells. Taken together, these findings could provide insight into the treatment options for brain defects caused by excessive ethanol exposure, such as in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. [source] | |||||||||||||