Retinoid activation of retinoic acid receptor but not retinoid X receptor is sufficient to rescue lethal defect in retinoic acid synthesis

Two isomers of retinoic acid (RA) may be necessary as ligands for retinoid signaling: all-trans-RA for RA receptors (RARs) and 9-cis-RA for retinoid X receptors (RXRs). This was explored by using retinaldehyde dehydrogenase (Raldh)2-/- mouse embryos lacking mesodermal RA synthesis that display early growth arrest unless rescued by all-trans-RA administration. Because isomerization of all-trans-RA to 9-cis-RA can occur, it is unclear whether both ligands are needed for rescue. We show here that an RAR-specific ligand can rescue Raldh2-/- embryos as efficiently as all-trans-RA, whereas an RXR-specific ligand has no effect. Further, whereas all-trans-RA was detected in embryos, 9-cis-RA was undetectable unless a supraphysiological dose of all-trans-RA was administered, revealing that 9-cis-RA is of pharmacological but not physiological significance. Because 9-cis-RA is undetectable and unnecessary for Raldh2-/- rescue, and others have shown that 4-oxo-RA is unnecessary for mouse development, all-trans-RA emerges as the only ligand clearly necessary for retinoid receptor signaling.     

Ubiquitinated or sumoylated retinoic acid receptor alpha determines its characteristic and interacting model with retinoid X receptor alpha in gastric and breast cancer cells

Retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARalpha) plays an important role in mediating all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) signals. In this study, we found that ATRA up-regulated RARalpha mRNA and protein expression in gastric cancer BGC-823 cells. However, in breast cancer MCF-7 cells it down-regulated RARalpha protein expression with no effect on its RARalpha mRNA. Immunoprecipitation/Western blot analysis showed that, although sumoylated and ubiquitinated RARalpha existed simultaneously in both cancer cell lines, ATRA exerted different regulatory effects on sumoylation and ubiquitination of RARalpha. In MCF-7 cells, ATRA treatment enhanced the ubiquitination of RARalpha and the subsequent degradation of RARalpha through the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway. This resulted in a reduction in the DNA binding activity of RARalpha/retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRalpha) heterodimer, the separation of RXRalpha from RARalpha and the translocation of RXRalpha from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. By contrast, in BGC-823 cells, ATRA augmented sumoylation, not ubiquitination, of RARalpha. The stability of sumoylated RARalpha was significantly stronger than in non-sumoylated RARalpha. These results also showed an increase in the DNA binding activity of the RARalpha/RXRalpha heterodimer and the stability of nuclear localization of this heterodimer, which normally facilitates the ATRA signal transduction. In conclusion, our results reveal a novel mechanism for the regulation of RARalpha-dependent signal transduction through the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway in breast cancer cells and the sumoylation pathway in gastric cancer cells.     

Fatty acids and retinoids control lipid metabolism through activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-retinoid X receptor heterodimers.

The nuclear hormone receptors called PPARs (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors alpha, beta, and gamma) regulate the peroxisomal beta-oxidation of fatty acids by induction of the acyl-CoA oxidase gene that encodes the rate-limiting enzyme of the pathway. Gel retardation and cotransfection assays revealed that PPAR alpha heterodimerizes with retinoid X receptor beta (RXR beta; RXR is the receptor for 9-cis-retinoic acid) and that the two receptors cooperate for the activation of the acyl-CoA oxidase gene promoter. The strongest stimulation of this promoter was obtained when both receptors were exposed simultaneously to their cognate activators. Furthermore, we show that natural fatty acids, and especially polyunsaturated fatty acids, activate PPARs as potently as does the hypolipidemic drug Wy 14,643, the most effective activator known so far. Moreover, we discovered that the synthetic arachidonic acid analogue 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid is 100 times more effective than Wy 14,643 in the activation of PPAR alpha. In conclusion, our data demonstrate a convergence of the PPAR and RXR signaling pathways in the regulation of the peroxisomal beta-oxidation of fatty acids by fatty acids and retinoids.     

In vitro antimalarial activity of retinoids and the influence of selective retinoic acid receptor antagonists

Retinol (vitamin A alcohol) may have a beneficial role in the host response to malaria in humans and previously published data have suggested that it has a direct inhibitory effect on the growth of Plasmodium falciparum in vitro. To further investigate the role of retinoids as potential antimalarial agents, we assessed the effect of all-trans-retinoic acid (RA), 9-cis-RA and 13-cis-RA, as well as retinol itself and its ester, retinyl palmitate, on 3H-hypoxanthine uptake by the laboratory-adapted strains of P. falciparum 3D7 and K1. In addition, we examined the influence of three specific RA receptor antagonists, ER 27191, Ro 415253 and AGN 194301, on retinoid-induced growth inhibition of 3D7. All-trans-RA, 9-cis-RA and 13-cis-RA in concentrations ranging from 1 x 10(-4) to 5 x 10(-10) M each had antimalarial activity, but at IC50 values (5.9 x 10(-5) to 7.9 x 10(-5) M) that were less than those of retinol (2.5 x 10(-5) to 3.2 x 10(-5) M). Retinyl palmitate had minimal effect on 3H-hypoxanthine uptake. Each of the three specific antagonists inhibited growth of 3D7 (IC50 range 1.2 x 10(-5) to 3.0 x 10(-5) M) but, in isobolographic analysis, were antagonistic to retinol (dose factor potentiation, DFP 0.46-0.79) and, in the case of Ro 415253, to all-trans-RA (DFP=0.39). Although we did not attempt to quantify losses of retinoids from the system, these data suggest that retinol has greater antimalarial activity than its RA metabolites and especially retinyl palmitate. The specific RA receptor antagonists showed paradoxical antimalarial activity but consistently antagonised the effect of retinol and all-trans-RA in isobolographic experiments. We conclude that RA metabolites may be less suitable than retinol per se as antimalarial agents and that P. falciparum might possess or acquire a RA receptor-like moiety.     

Retinoids induce fibroblast growth factor-2 production in endothelial cells via retinoic acid receptor alpha activation and stimulate angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo

The effect of retinoic acid (RA) on endothelial cells is still controversial and was examined in the present study. In bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs), all-trans RA (ATRA) and 9-cis RA (9CRA), but not 13-cis RA (13CRA), induced fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) production and exhibited a biphasic dose-dependent effect to enhance BAEC proliferation and differentiation into tubular structures on reconstituted basement membrane proteins (Matrigel); both processes were inhibited by FGF-2-neutralizing antibody. The pan RA receptor (RAR)-selective ligand (E)-4-[2-(5,5,8,8,-tetramethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-naphtalenyl)-1-propenyl] benzoic acid and the RARalpha-selective ligand 4-[1-(3,5,5,8,8-pentamethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-naphtyl)-ethenyl] benzoic acid stimulated the production of FGF-2, whereas the addition of the RARalpha-antagonist RO 41-5253 inhibited this effect. In BAECs, the forced expression of RARalpha, but not RARbeta or RARgamma, enhanced FGF-2 production, whereas the RARalpha-dominant negative, Delta403, blocked this effect. Furthermore, RARalpha overexpression directly stimulated BAEC differentiation on Matrigel and potentiated the effects of ATRA in this assay. Finally, ATRA-treated BAECs coinjected with Matrigel subcutaneously in mice induced neovascularization within the Matrigel plug, and ATRA also enhanced angiogenesis in the chicken chorioallantoic membrane assay. In conclusion, RA can stimulate endothelial cell proliferation and differentiation in vitro via enhanced RARalpha-dependent FGF-2 production, and it can also induce angiogenesis in vivo. The full text of this article is available at http://www.circresaha.org.     

Ubiquitous receptor: a receptor that modulates gene activation by retinoic acid and thyroid hormone receptors.

The cDNA for a member of the nuclear receptor family was cloned and named ubiquitous receptor (UR), since UR protein and mRNA are detected in many cell types. Rat UR/human retinoid X receptor alpha (hRXR alpha) heterodimers bound preferentially to double-stranded oligonucleotide direct repeats having the consensus half-site sequence AGGTCA and 4-nt spacing (DR-4). Coexpression of UR in COS-1 cells inhibited the stimulation of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene expression by hRXR alpha and human retinoic acid receptor alpha in the presence of all-trans-retinoic acid when DR-4 (but not DR-5) was present upstream of the promoter of a CAT reporter gene (DR-4-CAT). UR expression also inhibited the activation of a DR-4-CAT reporter gene by hRXR alpha and 9-cis-retinoic acid or by thyroid hormone receptor beta in the presence of thyroid hormone. However, in the absence of 9-cis-retinoic acid, UR in combination with hRXR alpha stimulation DR-4-CAT expression. Coexpression of thyroid hormone receptor markedly reduced this stimulation in the absence of thyroid hormone. UR may play an important role in normal growth and differentiation by modulating gene activation in retinoic acid and thyroid hormone signaling pathways.     

Degradation of retinoid X receptor α by TPA through proteasome pathway in gastric cancer cells

AIM: To investigate and determine the mechanism and signal pathway of tetradecanoylphorbol-1, 3-acetate (TPA) in degradation of RXRα.METHODS: Gastric cancer cell line, BGC-823 was used in the experiments. The expression level of RXRα protein was detected by Western blot. Nuclear and cytoplasmic protein fractions were prepared through lysis of cell and centrifugation.Localization and translocation of RXRcz were observed under laser-scanning confocal microscope through labeling specific anti-RXRα antibody and corresponding immunofluorescent antibody as secondary antibody. Different inhibitors were used as required.RESULTS: In BGC-823 cells, RXRα was expressed in thenucleus. When cells were treated with TPA, expression of RXRα was repressed in a time-dependent and TPA-manner. Meanwhile, translocation of RXRα from the nudeus to the cytoplasm occurred, also in a time-dependent manner. When cells were pre-incubated with proteasome inhibitor MG132 for 3 hrs, followed by TPA for another 12 hrs, TPA-induced RXRα degradation was inhibited. Further observation of RXRα translocation in the presence of MG132 showed that MG-132 could block TPA-induced RXRα redistribution. Conversely, when RXRα translocation was inhibited by LMB, an inhibitor for blocking protein export from the nucleus, TPA could not repress expression of RXRα.CONCLUSION:TPA could induce the degradation of RXRα protein in BGC-823 cells,and this degradation is time-and TPA-concentration-dependent.Furthermore,the degradation of RXRα by TPA is via a proteasome pathway and associated with RXRα transiocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm.     

Reduction of atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E knockout mice by activation of the retinoid X receptor

A common feature of many metabolic pathways is their control by retinoid X receptor (RXR) heterodimers. Dysregulation of such metabolic pathways can lead to the development of atherosclerosis, a disease influenced by both systemic and local factors. Here we analyzed the effects of activation of RXR and some of its heterodimers in apolipoprotein E -/- mice, a well established animal model of atherosclerosis. An RXR agonist drastically reduced the development of atherosclerosis. In addition, a ligand for the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)gamma and a dual agonist of both PPARalpha and PPARgamma had moderate inhibitory effects. Both RXR and liver X receptor (LXR) agonists induced ATP-binding cassette protein 1 (ABC-1) expression and stimulated ABC-1-mediated cholesterol efflux from macrophages from wild-type, but not from LXRalpha and beta double -/-, mice. Hence, activation of ABC-1-mediated cholesterol efflux by the RXR/LXR heterodimer might contribute to the beneficial effects of rexinoids on atherosclerosis and warrant further evaluation of RXR/LXR agonists in prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.     

Atrial-like phenotype is associated with embryonic ventricular failure in retinoid X receptor alpha -/- mice.

We have recently characterized a cardiac model of ventricular chamber defects in retinoid X receptor alpha (RXR alpha) homozygous mutant (-/-) gene-targeted mice. These mice display generalized edema, ventricular chamber hypoplasia, and muscular septal defects, and they die at embryonic day 15. To substantiate our hypothesis that the embryos are dying of cardiac pump failure, we have used digital bright-field and fluorescent video microscopy and in vivo microinjection of fluorescein-labeled albumin to analyze cardiac function. The affected embryos showed depressed ventricular function (average left ventricular area ejection fraction, 14%), ventricular septal defects, and various degrees of atrioventricular block not seen in the RXR alpha wild-type (+/+) and heterozygous (+/-) littermates (average left ventricular area ejection fraction, 50%). The molecular mechanisms involved in these ventricular defects were studied by evaluating expression of cardiac-specific genes known to be developmentally regulated. By in situ hybridization, aberrant, persistent expression of the atrial isoform of myosin light chain 2 was identified in the ventricles. We hypothesize that retinoic acid provides a critical signal mediated through the RXR alpha pathway that is required to allow progression of development of the ventricular region of the heart from its early atrial-like form to the thick-walled adult ventricle. The conduction system disturbances found in the RXR alpha -/- embryos may reflect a requirement of the developing conduction system for the RXR alpha signaling pathway, or it may be secondary to the failure of septal development.