title: Detection of endogenous retinoids in the molluscan CNS and characterization of the trophic and tropic actions of 9-cis retinoic acid on isolated neurons.
abstract: Retinoic acid (RA) is an active metabolite of Vitamin A that plays an important role in the growth and differentiation of many cell types. All-trans RA (atRA) is the retinoic acid isomer that has been most widely studied in the nervous system, and can induce and direct neurite outgrowth from both vertebrate and invertebrate preparations. The presence and role of the 9-cis-RA isomer in the nervous system is far less well defined. Here, we used high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS) to show for the first time, the presence of both atRA and 9-cis-RA in the CNS of an invertebrate. We then demonstrated that 9-cis-RA was capable of exerting the same neurotrophic and chemotropic effects on cultured neurons as atRA. In this study, significantly more cells showed neurite outgrowth in 9-cis-RA versus the EtOH vehicle control, and 9-cis-RA significantly increased the number and length of neurites from identified neurons after 4 d in culture. 9-cis-RA also extended the duration of time that cells remained electrically excitable in culture. Furthermore, we showed for the first time in any species, that exogenous application of 9-cis-RA induced positive growth cone turning of cultured neurons. This study provides the first evidence for the presence of both atRA and 9-cis-RA in an invertebrate CNS and also provides the first direct evidence for a potential physiological role for 9-cis-RA in neuronal regeneration and axon pathfinding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada L2S 3A1.
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Dmetrichuk
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Carlone
authors.forename: Timothy R B
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Nicholas D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Vesprini
authors.forename: Gaynor E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Spencer
mesh_terms: D000077556:Alitretinoin; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D020439:Growth Cones / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008195:Lymnaea; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008974:Mollusca / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009420:Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D016501:Neurites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D012176:Retinoids / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D012176:Retinoids; D000077556:Alitretinoin; D014212:Tretinoin