Retinoic acid and development of the central nervous system.
We consider the evidence that RA, the vitamin A metabolite, is involved in three fundamental aspects of the development of the CNS: 1) the stimulation of axon outgrowth in particular neuronal sub-types; 2) the migration of the neural crest; and 3) the specification of rostrocaudal position in the developing CNS (forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain, spinal cord). The evidence we discuss involves RA-induction of neurites in cell cultures and explants of neural tissue; the teratological effects of RA on the embryo's nervous system; the observation that RA can be detected endogenously in the spinal cord; and the fact that the receptors and binding proteins for RA are expressed in precise domains and neuronal cell types within the nervous system.
Maden
M
M
Developmental Biology Research Centre, King's College London, UK.
Holder
N
N
D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000196:embryology / Q000209:etiology; D000663:Amphibians / Q000196:embryology; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002642:Chick Embryo; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005801:Genes, Homeobox / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000502:physiology; D016501:Neurites / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D014212:Tretinoin