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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1993 Jul 1;90(13):6170–6174. doi: 10.1073/pnas.90.13.6170

9-cis-retinoic acid inhibits activation-driven T-cell apoptosis: implications for retinoid X receptor involvement in thymocyte development.

Y Yang 1, M S Vacchio 1, J D Ashwell 1
PMCID: PMC46889  PMID: 8392190

Abstract

Retinoic acid is a morphogenetic signaling molecule derived from vitamin A and involved in vertebrate development. Two groups of receptors, retinoic acid receptors and retinoid X receptors (RXRs), have been identified. All-trans-retinoic acid is the high-affinity ligand for retinoic acid receptors, and 9-cis-retinoic acid additionally binds RXRs with high affinity. Here we report that although retinoic acid has little inhibitory effect on activation-induced T-cell proliferation, it specifically prevents activation-induced apoptosis of T-cell hybridomas and antigen-specific deletion of immature CD4+CD8+ thymocytes from alpha beta T-cell receptor transgenic mice. 9-cis-Retinoic acid was approximately 10-fold more potent than all-trans-retinoic acid, suggesting that RXRs participate in this process. Thus, although 9-cis-retinoic acid has little immuno-suppressive activity, it is a potent negative regulator of activation-induced T-cell apoptosis, raising the possibility that RXRs may take part in regulating T-cell development.

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Selected References

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