title: Retinoic acid modulates retinoid X receptor alpha and retinoic acid receptor alpha levels of cultured brown adipocytes.
abstract: A novel potential regulatory pathway of brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis was recently recognized after identifying retinoic acid (RA) as a transcriptional activator of the uncoupling protein (UCP) gene. Here we provide evidence that the UCP responsiveness to RA in primary cultures of brown adipocytes involves RA receptor alpha (RAR alpha), and show, in the same system and also in CHO cells, that RA down-regulates the steady-state levels of RAR alpha and especially of retinoid X receptor alpha, suggesting autoregulation of the retinoid pathway and therefore supporting the idea of a physiological role for it in controlling the thermogenic capacity of BAT.
authors.affiliation: Dpt. Biologia Fonamental i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bonet
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Puigserver
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ribot
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pico
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palou
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006224:Cricetinae; D051379:Mice; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D047488:Retinoid X Receptors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D047488:Retinoid X Receptors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014212:Tretinoin