PUBLICATION

ZebRA: An overview of retinoic acid signaling during zebrafish development

Authors
Samarut, E., Fraher, D., Laudet, V., Gibert, Y.
ID
ZDB-PUB-140615-8
Date
2015
Source
Biochimica et biophysica acta. Gene regulatory mechanisms   1849(2): 73-83 (Review)
Registered Authors
Fraher, Daniel, Gibert, Yann, Laudet, Vincent, Samarut, Eric
Keywords
RAR, Retinoic acid, embryogenesis, organogenesis, zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Body Patterning/drug effects
  • Body Patterning/genetics
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian
  • Embryonic Development*/drug effects
  • Embryonic Development*/genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental/drug effects
  • Organogenesis/drug effects
  • Organogenesis/genetics
  • Signal Transduction/drug effects
  • Signal Transduction/genetics
  • Tretinoin/pharmacology
  • Tretinoin/physiology*
  • Zebrafish*/embryology
  • Zebrafish*/genetics
PubMed
24928143 Full text @ BBA Gene Regulatory Mechanisms
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. However, since the early 1980's, the zebrafish (Daniorerio) has emerged as a powerful developmental model to study the in vivo role of RA during embryogenesis. Unlike other vertebrate models, zebrafish embryogenesis is external, 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 and this review aims at illustrating different concepts of RA signalling based on the research performed on zebrafish. Indeed, RA action relies on a multitude of cross-talkwith other signalling 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 vivofor the first time, the effects of RA signalling 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 signalling during vertebrate embryogenesis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Nuclear receptors in animal development.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping