are covered in detail elsewhere, including the effects of retinoic acid on (a) nervous
system development (The Retinoids, Biology, Biochemistry and Disease, 2015,
John Wiley, Editor P. Dolle) and (b) vertebrate patterning (Advances in
Developmental Biology, volume 16, 2006, Elsevier, Editor R. Taneja).
Volume III is divided into eight chapters, each contributed by an author whose
area of expertise has had an impact on his/her respective field. All chapters follow a
similar format that begins with a general introduction to the area, followed by
descriptions of the earliest findings and history of the area, key findings that contributed to the development of the field, and recent research that defines our current
understanding of the area. Each chapter concludes with the author’s perspective on
the relevance and future directions for the field.
Chapter 1 describes the use of dietary vitamin A deficiency models to ascertain
the roles of vitamin A in prenatal development and in maintaining postnatal organ
systems, including the olfactory system, brain, and heart. Chapter 2 covers the
placental transfer of vitamin A from maternal to fetal circulation and its impact on
the vitamin A status of the developing fetus. Chapter 3 covers the retinoic
acid-regulated genes that are dynamically expressed during development, focusing
on new generation sequencing approaches and integrative genomic analyses that are
identifying and characterizing an ever expanding repertoire of genes, regulons, and
secondary processes that are initiated by retinoic acid. Chapter 4 covers the history
and current understanding of retinoic acid involvement in limb development and
regeneration. Chapters 5 and 6 cover the role of retinoic acid signaling in the
development of the heart and the respiratory system, respectively. Chapter 7 covers
biochemical pathways underlying the development of teeth in zebrafish, with an
overview of similar shared mechanisms in other organ systems and species, and the
evolutionary implications of retinoid signaling mechanisms. Chapter 8 describes the
experimental evidence showing how reduced retinoid signaling contributes to fetal
alcohol syndrome. The role of vitamin A and/or retinoic acid in different species,
including rodents, birds, fish, frogs, and humans, is included in each chapter.
We thank all of the authors for their participation in this project. We also thank
and acknowledge Meran Owen and the staff at Springer Publishing for their kind
support and assistance.
It is our hope that this third volume, along the first and second, serves as an
informative resource for all interested readers and as a useful reference for scientists
working in the field of vitamin A biology.
Scarborough, ME, USA
Mary Ann Asson-Batres
Illkirch, France
Cecile Rochette-Egly
vi
Preface
system development (The Retinoids, Biology, Biochemistry and Disease, 2015,
John Wiley, Editor P. Dolle) and (b) vertebrate patterning (Advances in
Developmental Biology, volume 16, 2006, Elsevier, Editor R. Taneja).
Volume III is divided into eight chapters, each contributed by an author whose
area of expertise has had an impact on his/her respective field. All chapters follow a
similar format that begins with a general introduction to the area, followed by
descriptions of the earliest findings and history of the area, key findings that contributed to the development of the field, and recent research that defines our current
understanding of the area. Each chapter concludes with the author’s perspective on
the relevance and future directions for the field.
Chapter 1 describes the use of dietary vitamin A deficiency models to ascertain
the roles of vitamin A in prenatal development and in maintaining postnatal organ
systems, including the olfactory system, brain, and heart. Chapter 2 covers the
placental transfer of vitamin A from maternal to fetal circulation and its impact on
the vitamin A status of the developing fetus. Chapter 3 covers the retinoic
acid-regulated genes that are dynamically expressed during development, focusing
on new generation sequencing approaches and integrative genomic analyses that are
identifying and characterizing an ever expanding repertoire of genes, regulons, and
secondary processes that are initiated by retinoic acid. Chapter 4 covers the history
and current understanding of retinoic acid involvement in limb development and
regeneration. Chapters 5 and 6 cover the role of retinoic acid signaling in the
development of the heart and the respiratory system, respectively. Chapter 7 covers
biochemical pathways underlying the development of teeth in zebrafish, with an
overview of similar shared mechanisms in other organ systems and species, and the
evolutionary implications of retinoid signaling mechanisms. Chapter 8 describes the
experimental evidence showing how reduced retinoid signaling contributes to fetal
alcohol syndrome. The role of vitamin A and/or retinoic acid in different species,
including rodents, birds, fish, frogs, and humans, is included in each chapter.
We thank all of the authors for their participation in this project. We also thank
and acknowledge Meran Owen and the staff at Springer Publishing for their kind
support and assistance.
It is our hope that this third volume, along the first and second, serves as an
informative resource for all interested readers and as a useful reference for scientists
working in the field of vitamin A biology.
Scarborough, ME, USA
Mary Ann Asson-Batres
Illkirch, France
Cecile Rochette-Egly
vi
Preface