title: Activation of retinoic acid receptor signaling coordinates lineage commitment of spontaneously differentiating mouse embryonic stem cells in embryoid bodies.
abstract: Retinoid signaling has been implicated in embryonic stem cell differentiation. Here we present a systematic analysis of gene expression changes in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), during their spontaneous differentiation into embryoid bodies and the effect of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on this process. We show that retinoic acid is present in the serum and is sufficient to activate retinoid signaling at a basal level in undifferentiated mESCs. This signal disappears during embryoid body formation. However exogenously added ATRA resets the spontaneous differentiation programs in embryoid bodies and initiates a distinct genetic program. These data suggest that retinoid signaling not only promotes a particular pathway but also acts as a context dependent general coordinator of the differentiation states in embryonic stem cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: Zoltan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Simandi
authors.forename: Balint Laszlo
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Balint
authors.forename: Szilard
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Poliska
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ruhl
authors.forename: Laszlo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nagy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells; D016193:G1 Phase; D015870:Gene Expression; D051379:Mice; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D012176:Retinoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D012176:Retinoids; D014212:Tretinoin