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  • The EMBO Journal (2002) 21, 5235 - 5244
  • doi:10.1093/emboj/cdf521

Mammalian Rcd1 is a novel transcriptional cofactor that mediates retinoic acid-induced cell differentiation

Noriko Hiroi1, Takaaki Ito2, Hanako Yamamoto3, Takahiro Ochiya3, Shigeki Jinno1 and Hiroto Okayama1

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 Japan
  2. Department of Pathology, Yokohama City University, School of Medicine, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0004 Japan
  3. Section for Studies on Metastasis, National Cancer Center Institute, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan

Correspondence to:

Hiroto Okayama, E-mail: okayama@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Received 25 February 2002; Accepted 7 August 2002; Revised 19 July 2002

Rcd1, initially identified as a factor essential for the commitment to nitrogen starvation-invoked differentiation in fission yeast, is one of the most conserved proteins found across eukaryotes, and its mammalian homolog is expressed in a variety of differentiating tissues. Here we show that mammalian Rcd1 is a novel transcriptional cofactor and is critically involved in the commitment step in the retinoic acid-induced differentiation of F9 mouse teratocarcinoma cells, at least in part, via forming complexes with retinoic acid receptor and activation transcription factor-2 (ATF-2). In addition, antisense oligonucleotide treatment of embryonic mouse lung explants suggests that Rcd1 also plays a role in retinoic acid-controlled lung development.

  • Keywords:

    • development,
    • differentiation,
    • F9,
    • retinoic acid,
    • transcription