Retinoic acid

Biological Activity

Retinoic acid is an endogenous agonist for retinoic acid receptors (IC₅₀ = 14 nM for RARα, RARβ and RARγ receptors). Retinoic acid specifies anterior-posterior patterning of neural progenitors. It promotes differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into adipocytes, neurons and glia in vitro. Retinoic acid also promotes differentiation of human PSCs into dopaminergic neurons and maturation of retinal organoids. It is a proposed ligand of RORβ (K_d = 280 nM). Activates autophagy.

For more information about how Retinoic acid may be used, see our protocols: Generation of β cells from hPSCs, Cultivating Cerebral Organoids.

Retinoic acid synthesized to Ancillary Material Grade also available.

Technical Data

The technical data provided above is for guidance only. For batch specific data refer to the Certificate of Analysis.
Tocris products are intended for laboratory research use only, unless stated otherwise.

Background References

1. High-throughput genotoxicity assay identifies antioxidants as inducers of DNA damage response and cell death.
   Fox JT, Sakamuru S, Huang R
   Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 2012;109(14):5423-8.
2. Retinoids induce integrin-independent lymphocyte adhesion through RAR-alpha nuclear receptor activity.
   Whelan J, Wang L, Chen J, Metts M, Nasser T, McGoldrick L, Bridges L
   Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 2014;454(4):537-542.
3. BMP4 is required for the initial expression of MITF in melanocyte precursor differentiation from embryonic stem cells.
   Yang J, Wang J, Pan L, Li H, Rao C, Zhang X, Niu G, Qu J, Hou L
   Exp Cell Res, 2014;320(1):54-61.
4. Differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into nephron progenitor cells in a serum and feeder free system.
   Kang, Minyong, Han, Yong-Mah
   PLoS ONE, 2014;9(4):e94888.
5. Pharmacological modulation of autophagy: therapeutic potential and persisting obstacles.
   Galluzzi et al.
   Nat.Rev.Drug.Discov., 2017;
6. A retinoic acid receptor alpha antagonist selectively counteracts retinoic acid effects.
   Apfel et al.
   Proc.Natl.Acad.Sci.U.S.A., 1992;89:7129
7. Differentiation of embryonic stem cells into adipocytes in vitro.
   Dani et al.
   J. Cell Sci., 1997;110:1279
8. Characterisation of human cellular retinoic acid binding proteins-1 and -2: ligand binding affinities and distribution in skin.
   Sanquer and Gilchrest
   Arch.Biochem.Biophys., 1994;311:86
9. Generation of Cerebral Organoids from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
   Lancaster et al.
   Nat.Protoc., 2015;9:2329
10. Self-organization of axial polarity, inside-out layer pattern, and species-specific progenitor dynamics in human ES cell-derived neocortex.
    Kadoshima et al.
    Proc.Natl.Acad.Sci.USA., 2013;110:20284
11. All-trans retinoic acid is a ligand for the orphan nuclear receptor RORβ.
    Stehlin-Gaon et al.
    Nat.Struct.Biol., 2003;10:820

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