title: A retinoic acid receptor alpha antagonist selectively counteracts retinoic acid effects.
abstract: Retinoic acid (RA) exerts its pleiotropic effects on cell growth and differentiation through the activation of a family of transcription factors-the RA receptors (RARs). Three subtypes of these receptors exist, RAR alpha, RAR beta, and RAR gamma. The receptors are differentially expressed in different cell types and stages of development, suggesting that they may regulate different sets of genes. We have identified a synthetic retinoid with the characteristics of a selective RAR alpha antagonist. This antagonist counteracts RA effects on HL-60 cell differentiation and on B-lymphocyte polyclonal activation. Beyond its potential practical relevance, this and other specific antagonists will be useful to dissect the RAR system and to assign to one given receptor each of the many RA-regulated functions.
authors.affiliation: Pharma Division, Preclinical Research, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Apfel
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Crettaz
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Forni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamber
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: LeMotte
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pirson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klaus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D007700:Kinetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D010957:Plasmids; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012176:Retinoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014162:Transfection; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012176:Retinoids; D014212:Tretinoin