Samarut Eric, Fraher Daniel, Laudet Vincent, Gibert Yann
Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, 46 allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France.
Metabolic Genetic Diseases Laboratory, Metabolic Research Unit, Deakin School of Medicine, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3217, Australia.
Biochim Biophys Acta. 2015 Feb;1849(2):73-83. doi: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2014.05.030. Epub 2014 Jun 10.
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. Since the early 1980s, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) has emerged as a powerful developmental model to study the in vivo role of RA during embryogenesis. Unlike mammalian models, zebrafish embryogenesis is external, not only 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. This review aims at illustrating different concepts of RA signaling based on the research performed on zebrafish. Indeed, RA action relies on a multitude of cross-talk with other signaling 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 vivo for the first time, the effects of RA signaling 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 signaling during vertebrate embryogenesis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Nuclear receptors in animal development.
视黄酸（RA）是维生素A的主要活性衍生物，对胚胎发育、调节细胞过程、胚胎模式形成和器官发生至关重要。许多在哺乳动物或鸟类模型中进行的研究已成功地对RA在胚胎发生过程中所起的作用进行了调查。自20世纪80年代初以来，斑马鱼（Danio rerio）已成为研究RA在胚胎发生过程中体内作用的强大发育模型。与哺乳动物模型不同，斑马鱼的胚胎发育是体外进行的，这不仅使得从最早阶段就能观察半透明的胚胎，还提供了一个便于进行药物治疗或基因操作的系统。因此，斑马鱼研究在很大程度上有助于解读RA在发育过程中的作用。本综述旨在基于对斑马鱼的研究阐述RA信号传导的不同概念。事实上，RA的作用依赖于与其他信号通路的大量相互作用，并且在时间和空间维度上都需要对其水平和活性进行协调、动态且精细的调节。本综述还强调了利用斑马鱼所取得的重大进展，例如首次在体内观察到RA梯度、RA信号在脑模式形成中的作用、其在建立左右不对称性中的作用以及对包括心脏、血液、骨骼和脂肪在内的多种器官和组织发育的影响。本综述表明，斑马鱼是研究脊椎动物胚胎发生过程中视黄酸信号传导的便捷而强大的模型。本文是名为：动物发育中的核受体的特刊的一部分。
