Retinoic acid regulates avian lung branching through a molecular network.

Retinoic acid regulates avian lung branching through a molecular network.
Cell Mol Life Sci. 2017 Jul 22;:
Authors: Fernandes-Silva H, Vaz-Cunha P, Barbosa VB, Silva-Gonçalves C, Correia-Pinto J, Moura RS
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA) is of major importance during vertebrate embryonic development and its levels need to be strictly regulated otherwise congenital malformations will develop. Through the action of specific nuclear receptors, named RAR/RXR, RA regulates the expression of genes that eventually influence proliferation and tissue patterning. RA has been described as crucial for different stages of mammalian lung morphogenesis, and as part of a complex molecular network that contributes to precise organogenesis; nonetheless, nothing is known about its role in avian lung development. The current report characterizes, for the first time, the expression pattern of RA signaling members (stra6, raldh2, raldh3, cyp26a1, rarα, and rarβ) and potential RA downstream targets (sox2, sox9, meis1, meis2, tgfβ2, and id2) by in situ hybridization. In the attempt of unveiling the role of RA in chick lung branching, in vitro lung explants were performed. Supplementation studies revealed that RA stimulates lung branching in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the expression levels of cyp26a1, sox2, sox9, rarβ, meis2, hoxb5, tgfβ2, id2, fgf10, fgfr2, and shh were evaluated after RA treatment to disclose a putative molecular network underlyin...

Source: Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences : CMLS - July 22, 2017 Category: Cytology Authors: Fernandes-Silva H, Vaz-Cunha P, Barbosa VB, Silva-Gonçalves C, Correia-Pinto J, Moura RS Tags: Cell Mol Life Sci Source Type: research