Duester Lab

Research focus

NIH R01 · 2024

Retinoic acid target genes and transcriptional mechanisms during eye development

PROJECT SUMMARY One of the most critical functions of the vitamin A (retinol) metabolite retinoic acid (RA) is control of eye development. In mouse, RA synthesis occurs early in the optic field with expression of retinol dehydrogenase-10 (RDH10) and all three retinaldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH1A1, ALDH1A2, ALDH1A3) that convert retinol to RA. RA diffuses to tissues throughout the optic placode, optic vesicle, and adjacent mesenchyme to stimulate folding of the optic vesicle to form the optic cup by E10.5. At E12.5-E14.5, RA is needed for further morphogenesis of the optic cup and surrounding perioptic mesenchyme; loss of RA leads to microphthalmia. RA functions by binding to nuclear RA…

From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.