RETINOIC AID INCREASES ARRESTIN MESSENGER-RNA LEVELS IN THE MOUSE RETINA

Arrestin, which plays a role in the termination of the visual transduc tion cascade, is one of several photoreceptor proteins whose mRNA leve ls are increased by light, Retinoic acid, a by-product of photorecepto r signaling and a potent modulator of hormonal transcription control, is one candidate for regulating the arrestin mRNA levels, Here we show that retinoic acid, injected intraperitoneally into dark-adapted mice , increases the arrestin mRNA levels and mimics the effect of light. i njection of 1 mu mol of retinoic acid produces a maximal increase in a rrestin mRNA levels, The mRNA level reaches a maximum 3 h after inject ion and slowly declines thereafter, The observations suggest that reti noic acid may mediate the increase in arrestin mRNA produced by light. -Wagner, E., McCaffery, P., Mey, J., Farhangfar, F., Applebury, M. L., Driiger, U. C. Retinoic aid increases arrestin mRNA levels in the mou se retina.