Skip to Content
Merck
All Photos(2)

Documents

R2625

Sigma-Aldrich

Retinoic acid

≥98% (HPLC), powder, RAR and RXR ligand

Synonym(s):

ATRA, Tretinoin, Vitamin A acid, all-trans-Retinoic acid

Sign Into View Organizational & Contract Pricing


About This Item

Empirical Formula (Hill Notation):
C20H28O2
CAS Number:
Molecular Weight:
300.44
Beilstein:
2057223
EC Number:
MDL number:
UNSPSC Code:
12352106
PubChem Substance ID:
NACRES:
NA.77

product name

Retinoic acid, ≥98% (HPLC), powder

biological source

synthetic (organic)

Assay

≥98% (HPLC)

form

powder

technique(s)

cell culture | mammalian: suitable

color

yellow

mp

180-181 °C (lit.)

solubility

chloroform: 50 mg/mL

storage temp.

−20°C

SMILES string

CC1=C(\C=C\C(C)=C\C=C\C(C)=C\C(O)=O)C(C)(C)CCC1

InChI

1S/C20H28O2/c1-15(8-6-9-16(2)14-19(21)22)11-12-18-17(3)10-7-13-20(18,4)5/h6,8-9,11-12,14H,7,10,13H2,1-5H3,(H,21,22)/b9-6+,12-11+,15-8+,16-14+

InChI key

SHGAZHPCJJPHSC-YCNIQYBTSA-N

Looking for similar products? Visit Product Comparison Guide

General description

Retinoic acid (RA), a retinoid, exerts a broad range of biological effects. It plays a role in regulating cellular differentiation and proliferation in both normal and transformed cells, potentially influencing oncogenes. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is regarded as the most pertinent and functionally active metabolite of Vitamin-A. RA may serve as a type of signal molecule through a nuclear receptor to regulate regional differentiation in the central nervous system. Moreover, at a concentration of 1 nM (with maximal differentiation at 1 µM), RA induces morphological and functional terminal differentiation in a cell line of human promyelocyte leukemia, indicating its potential involvement in the differentiation of specific hematopoietic cells. Additionally, RA can indirectly impact neuronal differentiation by modifying the expression of neuronal cell surface receptors to peptide growth factors.

Furthermore, RA and other retinoids can also inhibit cellular proliferation and stimulate tyrosinase activity in a human melanoma cell line, while also inhibiting cell-substrate adhesion and motility in melanocytes. ATRA plays a vital role in the formation of the mammalian vascular system. Specifically, it regulates endothelial cell proliferation and vascular remodeling throughout tissue angiogenesis.

Application

  • Retinoic acid (RA) has been used for the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into motor neurons.
  • It has been used for the differentiation of Xenopus ectoderm into pancreas.
  • It has also been used to study epigenetic regulation by RARα (retinoic acid receptor α).
  • It has been used to study RA signaling of prospermatogonia transition into spermatogonia.

Biochem/physiol Actions

all−trans−Retinoic acid (ATRA) is a ligand for both the retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and the retinoid X receptor (RXR). The bound RAR and RXR act as transcription factors that regulate the growth and differentiation of both normal and malignant cells. Cytochromes P450 (CYPs) catalyze the 4-hydroxylation of ATRA. Retinoic acid primes embryonic stem cells to become neurons.

Features and Benefits

This compound is featured on the Nuclear Receptors (Non-Steroids) page of the Handbook of Receptor Classification and Signal Transduction. To browse other handbook pages, click here.

Signal Word

Danger

Hazard Statements

Hazard Classifications

Acute Tox. 4 Oral - Aquatic Acute 1 - Aquatic Chronic 1 - Repr. 1B - Skin Irrit. 2

Storage Class Code

6.1C - Combustible acute toxic Cat.3 / toxic compounds or compounds which causing chronic effects

WGK

WGK 2

Flash Point(F)

Not applicable

Flash Point(C)

Not applicable

Personal Protective Equipment

dust mask type N95 (US), Eyeshields, Gloves

Certificates of Analysis (COA)

Search for Certificates of Analysis (COA) by entering the products Lot/Batch Number. Lot and Batch Numbers can be found on a product’s label following the words ‘Lot’ or ‘Batch’.

Already Own This Product?

Find documentation for the products that you have recently purchased in the Document Library.

Visit the Document Library

Recovery from paralysis in adult rats using embryonic stem cells.
Deshpande DM et al.
Annals of Neurology, 60, 32-32 (2006)
Retinoic acid regulates both expression of the nerve growth factor receptor and sensitivity to nerve growth factor.
Scheibe RJ and Wagner JA
The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 267, 17611-17616 (1992)
Retinoic acid induces multiple hallmarks of the prospermatogonia-to-spermatogonia transition in the neonatal mouse.
Busada JT et al.
Biology of Reproduction, 90, 64-64 (2014)
Epigenetic regulation by RARa maintains ligand-independent transcriptional activity.
Laursen KB et al.
Nucleic Acids Research, 40, 102-102 (2012)
Chang Yang et al.
Metallomics : integrated biometal science, 11(8), 1419-1429 (2019-07-18)
Antimony (Sb) belongs to the same group as arsenic (As) in the periodic table, and both share similar characteristics. However, Sb2O3 (SbIII) has no methylation capacity, unlike arsenic trioxide (As2O3). In the present study, we determined the effect of SbIII

Articles

Derivation and characterization of functional human neural stem cell derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) that efficiently myelinate primary neurons in culture.

All-trans retinoic acid (RA, ATRA) is a pleiotropic activation factor that regulates genes associated with normal vertebrate cellular processes such as cell differentiation, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and embryonic development.

Protocols

Step-by-step culture protocols for neural stem cell culture including NSC isolation, expansion, differentiation and characterization.

Our team of scientists has experience in all areas of research including Life Science, Material Science, Chemical Synthesis, Chromatography, Analytical and many others.

Contact Technical Service