Retinoic acid inhibits junctional communication between animal cells

Abstract

Retinoic acid inhibits junctional communication between a variety of vertebrate cell types in culture. It reduces the intercellular transfer of 3H-nucleotides between Syrian hamster kidney fibroblasts (BHK 21/13), Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts (V79), rat liver epithelial cells (BRL), Swiss mouse embryo fibroblasts (3T3), rainbow trout gonadal fibroblasts (RTG2) and Xenopus embryo fibroblasts (Xen). It also reduces metabolic cooperation between hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase deficient mutant and wild-type BHK cells. The inhibition is rapid (intercellular transfer of iontophoretically injected Lucifer Yellow CH between BRL cells is completely blocked after the cells have been exposed to 10(-4) M retinoic acid for 5 min), and is fully reversed when the drug is removed. Based on these results and the observation that the amount of gap junctional protein isolated from cells grown in the presence of retinoic acid for 1 h is the same and after 24 h is increased (1.3- to 3.1-fold) compared with the amount isolated from untreated cells, we suggest that the inhibitory effect is mediated by the reversible closure of junctional channels.

Differential expression of gap junctions in neurons and astrocytes derived from P19 embryonal carcinoma cells

“…Nontoxic concentrations of RA have been shown to decrease intercellular communication rapidly and reversibly in various cell types [Rivedal and Sanner, 1992;Brummer et al, 1991;Pitts et al, 1986]. RA induces cell-cell communication in fibroblast cell lines exposed to carcinogens [Wolf, 1992].…”

“…Retinoic acid has been shown to modulate connexin expression in many cell types [Wolf, 1992;Pitts et al, 1986;Brummer et al, 1991;Rivedal and Sanner, 1992]. We examined the effect of RA on connexin mRNA and protein level, as well as its ability to alter gap junctional communication.…”

Connexin43 gap junction protein plays an essential role in morphogenesis of the embryonic chick face

“…Since retinoic acid has been shown to reduce gap junction expression and communication between cells in vitro (Mehta et al, 1989;Pitts et al, 1986), we examine whether retinoic acid-induced facial defects are associated with changes in distribution of connexin43 and 32 gap junction proteins in vivo.…”

Role of retinoid signaling in the regulation of spermatogenesis

“…A delay in the assembly of ZO-1, a peripheral component protein of TJ, into the Sertoli cell barrier has been detected in Rara -/-testis (SSWC and DJW, unpublished observations). Similarly, gap junctional permeability has been shown to be blocked by retinol or ATRA in other cells (Walder and Lutzelschwab, 1984;Mehta et al, 1986;Pitts et al, 1986;Brummer et al, 1991;Weiler et al, 1999). The nature of the gap junctions has not been studied in either VAD testis or in RAR·-deficient testis, but given the observed abnormalities in Sertoli-Sertoli or Sertoli-germ cell interactions, they are likely to be affected.…”