ABSTRACT
Retinol is converted to retinoic acid (RA) in multiple tissues, and RA has profound effects on pattern formation during early development, skeletal growth, cellular growth, and differentiation. This chapter discusses the evolution of thought to investigate the role RA plays in adipocyte gene expression. The specificity of RA action on adipocyte gene expression was determined by measuring the effects of RA on the expression of other genes. RA regulates gene expression in both 3T3-F442A and 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The chapter examines the deficient triiodothyronine control of S14 gene expression in 3T3-F442A cells and progress to an analysis of RA action on S14 gene transcription in these cells. It shows that glucocorticoids and tissue-specific factors contribute significantly to the RA-mediated control of S14 gene transcription in cultured adipocytes. In rat liver, transcription of the S14 gene is regulated by hormones, dietary, developmental, and tissue-specific factors. Both RA and dexamethasone induced rapid and dose-dependent increases in adipocyte mRNAs14 by activating S14 gene transcription.
