Mechanisms of retinoic acid signaling during cardiogenesis

- We review the role of retinoic acid, a derivative of vitamin A, during heart development.
- We review transcriptional activities of retinoic acid and retinoid X receptors in mammalian heart development.
- We discuss the role of retinoids in congenital heart defects.

Substantial experimental and epidemiological data have highlighted the interplay between nutritional and genetic factors in the development of congenital heart defects. Retinoic acid (RA), a derivative of vitamin A, plays a key role during vertebrate development including the formation of the heart. Retinoids bind to RA and retinoid X receptors (RARs and RXRs) which then regulate tissue-specific genes. Here, we will focus on the roles of RA signaling and receptors in gene regulation during cardiogenesis, and the consequence of deregulated retinoid signaling on heart formation and congenital heart defects.