title: [Basic aspects of vitamin A--chemical structure, physiological functions and metabolism].
abstract: Vitamin A research has been facing the third wave which was initiated both by a cloning of nuclear retinoid receptors and therapeutic application of retinoic acid for acute promyelocytic leukemia. The third wave also gives rise to confusion between vitamin A, retinoids, and retinoate analogues. Physiological functions of vitamin A still remain almost unresolved at a molecular level except a visual cycle. Future study may unravel a molecular involvement of vitamin A in sensation such as smelling, hearing and tasting, and a specific role of vitamin A in dopaminergic neuron will be presented in the near future. A refined control mechanism for intracellular level of retinoic acid is also discussed with retinal dehydrogenase II and cytochrome P450 RAI (CYP26).
authors.affiliation: Cellular Biochemistry Section, Siebold University of Nagasaki.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shidoji
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A