title: Retinoic acid influences the expression of the neuronal regulatory genes Mash-1 and c-ret in the developing rat heart.
abstract: We analyzed the expression of neuronal regulatory genes Mash-1 and c-ret by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in the developing heart of rat embryos following exogenous retinoic acid (RA) treatment of the pregnant dams. On E12, expression of Mash-1 and c-ret was confined to cells migrating via the common cardinal vein. On E16.5, Mash-1 and c-ret expression were restricted to cardiac ganglia around the great vessels and posterior atrial wall. While Mash-1 expression was down-regulated at birth, that of c-Ret was maintained. RA-treated hearts showed a down-regulation of both Mash-1 and c-Ret at the mRNA as well as at the protein level on E16.5. The present results show that differentiation of cardiac ganglionic cells is affected after RA treatment, by the down-regulation of Mash-1 and c-Ret.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, MD 10, 4 Medical Drive, National University of Singapore, 117 597, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shoba
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Dheen
authors.forename: S S W
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Tay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D005725:Ganglia, Autonomic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology* / Q000294:innervation*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014212:Tretinoin; C499318:Ascl1 protein, rat; C416649:Ret protein, Drosophila; C495001:Ret protein, rat