title: ZebRA: An overview of retinoic acid signaling during zebrafish development.
abstract: Retinoic acid (RA), the main active vitamin A derivative, is crucial for embryo development, regulating cellular processes, embryo patterning and organogenesis. Many studies performed in mammalian or avian models have successfully undertaken the investigation of the role played by RA during embryogenesis. Since the early 1980s, the zebraﬁsh (Danio rerio) has emerged as a powerful developmental model to study the in vivo role of RA during embryogenesis. Unlike mammalian models, zebraﬁsh embryogenesis is external, not only allowing the observation of the translucent embryo from the earliest steps but also providing an easily accessible system for pharmacological treatment or genetic approaches. Therefore, zebraﬁsh research largely participates in deciphering the role of RA during development. This review aims at illustrating different concepts of RA signaling based on the research performed on zebraﬁsh. Indeed, RA action relies on a multitude of cross-talk with other signaling pathways and requires a coordinated, dynamic and ﬁne-regulation of its level and activity in both temporal and spatial dimensions. This review also highlights major advances that have been discovered using zebraﬁsh such as the observation of the RA gradient in vivo for the ﬁrst time, the effects of RA signaling in brain patterning, its role in establishing left-right asymmetry and its effects on the development of a variety of organs and tissues including the heart, blood, bone and fat. This review demonstrates that the zebraﬁsh is a convenient and powerful model to study retinoic acid signaling during vertebrate embryogenesis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Nuclear receptors in animal development.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, 46 allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Samarut
authors.affiliation: Metabolic Genetic Diseases Laboratory, Metabolic Research Unit, Deakin School of Medicine, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3217, Australia.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fraher
authors.affiliation: Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, 46 allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Laudet
authors.affiliation: Metabolic Genetic Diseases Laboratory, Metabolic Research Unit, Deakin School of Medicine, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3217, Australia. Electronic address: y.gibert@deakin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Yann
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gibert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D038081:Organogenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014212:Tretinoin
keywords: Embryogenesis; Organogenesis; RAR; Retinoic acid; Zebrafish