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.

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. Pharmacological modulation of autophagy: therapeutic potential and persisting obstacles.
   Galluzzi et al.
   Nat.Rev.Drug.Discov., 2017;
2. A retinoic acid receptor alpha antagonist selectively counteracts retinoic acid effects.
   Apfel et al.
   Proc.Natl.Acad.Sci.U.S.A., 1992;89:7129
3. Differentiation of embryonic stem cells into adipocytes in vitro.
   Dani et al.
   J. Cell Sci., 1997;110:1279
4. 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
5. Generation of Cerebral Organoids from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
   Lancaster et al.
   Nat.Protoc., 2015;9:2329
6. 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
7. 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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