Nature Genetics31, 7 - 8 (2002)
Published online: 15 April 2002; | doi:10.1038/ng877
There is an Erratum (June 2002) associated with this News and Views.
Retinoid metabolism: a balancing act
Thomas Perlmann
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Karolinska Institute, S-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. thomas.perlmann@licr.ki.se
The recent characterization of the alcohol* dehydrogenase Aldh1a2 and the cytochrome P450 Cyp26, two enzymes involved in retinoid metabolism, has helped to explain how bioactive retinoids are made and catabolized. By the elegant definition of an Aldh1a2 null mutation as a dominant suppressor of a Cyp26 null mutation, it is now unequivocally demonstrated that the main function of Cyp26 is to degrade endogenous all-trans retinoic acid rather than to synthesize bioactive hydroxylated retinoids.
MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS
These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated
