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A. Fainsod et al.
Abbreviations
PAE
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
FAS
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
pFAS
partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
FASD
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
IUGR
Intrauterine Growth Restriction
ARND Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder
ARBD Alcohol-Related Birth Defects
CNS
Central Nervous System
ADH
Alcohol Dehydrogenase
ALDH Aldehyde Dehydrogenase
RALDH Retinaldehyde Dehydrogenase
SDR
Short-chain Dehydrogenase/Reductase
DEAB
4-Diethylaminobenzaldehyde
RA
Retinoic Acid
RAR
Retinoic Acid Receptor
RXR
Retinoid X Receptor
RARE
Retinoic Acid Responsive Element
RDH
Retinol Dehydrogenase
Introduction
Retinoic acid (RA) signaling is one of the main signaling pathways regulating
the expression of numerous downstream target genes during both early vertebrate
embryogenesis and adulthood (Ghyselinck and Duester 2019). Throughout life, RA
signaling is tightly controlled to achieve the right temporal and spatial distribution
pattern and concentration during different stages of development and tissue differentiation. During embryogenesis, RA signaling regulates (1) the development of
numerous systems and tissues; (2) anterior–posterior (AP) patterning through transcriptional control of hox gene expression; and (3) AP axial elongation through a
complex cross-regulatory network involving Wnt, FGF, and other signaling factors.
In postnatal development and adult individuals, RA signaling continues to be involved
in regenerative processes as well as in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis (Mark
et al. 2006; Maden 2007; Niederreither and Dollé 2008).
In recent years, increasing numbers of medical conditions have been described
attributing abnormal RA signaling to developmental disorders, syndromes or disease conditions in adults, including several types of tumors. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorder (FASD), the syndrome induced by alcohol exposure during fetal development, is probably the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in humans. The
induction of FASD is the result of ingestion during pregnancy of alcoholic beverages that contain the simple alcohol—ethanol. Ethanol is efficiently absorbed into
A. Fainsod et al.
Abbreviations
PAE
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
FAS
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
pFAS
partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
FASD
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
IUGR
Intrauterine Growth Restriction
ARND Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder
ARBD Alcohol-Related Birth Defects
CNS
Central Nervous System
ADH
Alcohol Dehydrogenase
ALDH Aldehyde Dehydrogenase
RALDH Retinaldehyde Dehydrogenase
SDR
Short-chain Dehydrogenase/Reductase
DEAB
4-Diethylaminobenzaldehyde
RA
Retinoic Acid
RAR
Retinoic Acid Receptor
RXR
Retinoid X Receptor
RARE
Retinoic Acid Responsive Element
RDH
Retinol Dehydrogenase
Introduction
Retinoic acid (RA) signaling is one of the main signaling pathways regulating
the expression of numerous downstream target genes during both early vertebrate
embryogenesis and adulthood (Ghyselinck and Duester 2019). Throughout life, RA
signaling is tightly controlled to achieve the right temporal and spatial distribution
pattern and concentration during different stages of development and tissue differentiation. During embryogenesis, RA signaling regulates (1) the development of
numerous systems and tissues; (2) anterior–posterior (AP) patterning through transcriptional control of hox gene expression; and (3) AP axial elongation through a
complex cross-regulatory network involving Wnt, FGF, and other signaling factors.
In postnatal development and adult individuals, RA signaling continues to be involved
in regenerative processes as well as in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis (Mark
et al. 2006; Maden 2007; Niederreither and Dollé 2008).
In recent years, increasing numbers of medical conditions have been described
attributing abnormal RA signaling to developmental disorders, syndromes or disease conditions in adults, including several types of tumors. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorder (FASD), the syndrome induced by alcohol exposure during fetal development, is probably the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in humans. The
induction of FASD is the result of ingestion during pregnancy of alcoholic beverages that contain the simple alcohol—ethanol. Ethanol is efficiently absorbed into