Cell Death and Differentiation (1998) 5, 11 ± 19 1998 Stockton Press All rights reserved 13509047/98 $12.00 Review Retinoid-induced apoptosis in normal and neoplastic tissues Laszlo Nagy1,3,4, Vilmos A. Thomazy1, Richard A. Heyman2 retinoic acid receptor (RAR), which belongs to the superfamily and Peter J.A. Davies1,3 of ligand-activated transcription factors (nuclear receptors) revolutionized our understanding as to how retinoids exert 1 Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas-Houston, Medical School, their pleiotropic effects (for reviews see Chambon (1996); Houston, Texas 77225 USA Mangelsdorf et al (1994)). Members of the nuclear receptor 2 Ligand Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, California, 92121 USA superfamily mediate the biological effects of many hormones, 3 Corresponding author: PJAD, tel: 713-500-7480; fax: 713-500-7455; vitamins and drugs (i.e. steroid hormones, thyroid hormones, e-mail:
[email protected] 4 vitamin D, prostaglandin-J (PG-J ) and drugs that activate Present address for correspondence: The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 2 2 Gene Expression Laboratory, La Jolla, California 92037; peroxisomal proliferation). There are two families of retinoid tel: (619) 453-4100 fax:(619) 455-1349; e-mail:
[email protected] receptors, Retinoid X Receptors (RXRs) that bind 9-cis retinoic acid (9-cis RA) and Retinoic Acid Receptors (RARs) Received 18.8.97; revised 19.9.97; accepted 22.9.97 that bind both 9-cis RA and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) (for Edited by M. Piacentini reviews see Chambon 1996; Mangelsdorf et al, 1994)). Each of these receptor families includes at least three distinct genes, (RARa,b and g; RXRa,b and g) that through differential Abstract promoter usage and alternative splicing, give rise to a large number of distinct retinoid receptor proteins (for reviews see Vitamin A and its derivatives (collectively referred to as Chambon 1996; Mangelsdorf et al, 1994).