Enhancing enhancers: new complexities in the retinoid regulation of gene expression.

Article Details

Citation

Copy to clipboard

Redfern CP

Enhancing enhancers: new complexities in the retinoid regulation of gene expression.

Biochem J. 2004 Oct 1;383(Pt 1):e1-2.

PubMed ID

15379735 [ View in PubMed

]

Abstract

Retinoic acid is a signalling molecule central to morphogenesis and musculoskeletal development. It can exist in several isomeric forms, of which all-trans- and 9-cis-retinoic acid are thought to be the most relevant as signalling molecules. Retinoic acid regulates gene expression via RARs (retinoic acid receptors) working as heterodimers with RXRs (retinoid X receptors). RXRs also heterodimerize with other nuclear receptors. In this issue of the Biochemical Journal, Harris et al. have shown that an enhancer responsible for chondrocyte-specific expression of the col11a2 gene is itself regulated by a retinoic-acid-dependent interaction with RXRbeta bound to a downstream response element. Thus, RXRs bound to hormone-response elements can regulate gene expression indirectly via interactions with tissue-specific enhancers. This study raises interesting questions about the nature of the response element, the RXRbeta partner and the ligands able to influence col11a2 expression, and will provide a model system with which to understand tissue and ligand specificity of retinoid responses.

DrugBank Data that Cites this Article

Drug Targets

Drug	Target	Kind	Organism	Pharmacological Action	Actions
Tretinoin	Retinoic acid receptor RXR-beta	Protein	Humans	Yes	Agonist	Details