Caged Retinoic Acid

Caged Retinoic Acid is a photoactivatable form of Retinoic Acid. Retinoic Acid is the oxidized carboxylic acid form of retinol, known in the dietary context as Vitamin A. Retinal is the aldehyde form of retinol required by the retina of the eye for light absorption and visual processing. Retinoic acid and the other retinoids are involved in a broad range of biological regulations, mediating differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis. Binding of Retinoic Acid to the nuclear receptors retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and the retinoid X receptor (RXR) initiate signals for transcription and development. The intimate relationship between retinoids and cell cycle regulation has been implicated in suppression of oncogenic proliferation. Also available as a non-caged form, Retinoic Acid.