Retinol Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Retinol, including details on vitamin a, uses, wrinkle treatment, anti-aging.

Crk-associated substrate (Cas) family member, NEDD9, is regulated in human neuroblastoma cells and in the embryonic hindbrain by all-trans retinoic acid.

Merrill RA, See AW, Wertheim ML, Clagett-Dame M

Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 433 Babcock Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.

The vitamin A metabolite, all-trans retinoic acid (atRA), plays an essential role in vertebrate embryogenesis, including development of the nervous system. In the human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y, atRA rapidly induces (within 4 hr) the expression of the Crk-associated substrate (Cas) family member, neural precursor cell-expressed, developmentally down-regulated gene 9 (NEDD9) also called the human enhancer of filamentation (HEF1). NEDD9 is expressed in the developing hindbrain (5-somite stage) in the presumptive rhombomeres 2, 3, and 5 before the onset of overt segmentation. Exposure of rat embryos to excess atRA at times ranging from E9.25 to E12 leads to altered NEDD9 expression in the developing hindbrain within 6 hr. NEDD9 expression is also perturbed in vitamin A-deficient embryos. A putative retinoic acid response element in the 5' region of the NEDD9 promoter binds specifically to a RXR/RAR heterodimer and forms a higher molecular weight complex upon addition of a retinoic acid receptor-specific antibody. Regulation of NEDD9 may be an important means whereby atRA promotes cell spreading and neurite outgrowth in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells, and NEDD9 represents a new downstream target of atRA and its receptors in the developing hindbrain.

Published 11 October 2004 in Dev Dyn, 231(3): 564-75.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Retinol Research Today. All Rights Reserved.