All-trans retinoic acid: molecular mechanisms & dependencies

How nutrients influence it

Every nutrient with a recorded effect on this component, credited to the nutrient that acted rather than the chapter that recorded it. Open a nutrient to see the findings and the conditions they were measured under.

Human evidence only

How nutrients reach it in more than one step

Chains of two or more recorded steps that end here, grouped by the nutrient they start from. Each step is a separate finding, so a chain is a route a mechanism could take, not proof that it does.

Tracing routes…

What it does

Every recorded relationship this component is part of, grouped by its role. Plain wording comes first; the technical statement follows.

Recorded relationships

Where it participates (unsigned role)

Acetate promoted B-cell IgA class switching and IgA production in vitro in the presence of wild-type but not GPR43 knockout dendritic cells, and mechanistically acetate induced dendritic-cell expression of Aldh1a2, which converts vitamin A into retinoic acid, with blockade of retinoic acid signalling inhibiting the acetate-induced IgA production.
Acetate → Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A2 / ALDH1A2 source_derived_draftungraded
Experimental context and source evidence
evidence_span
{"source_cache": "artifacts/acetate-research/27966553.abstract.txt", "locator": "Indexed abstract; zero-based, end-exclusive Unicode character offsets", "file_sha256": "25ef476e62dd28f354099501d2919c3f765aaddd89d1a05739e3e0dc703d11ac", "start_char": 0, "end_char": 1363, "text_sha256": "25ef476e62dd28f354099501d2919c3f765aaddd89d1a05739e3e0dc703d11ac"}
experimental_model
GPR43 knockout mice with B-cell and dendritic-cell coculture and retinoic acid signalling blockade
exposure
Dietary acetate or butyrate in wild-type and GPR43 knockout mice, with in vitro IgA class switching assays
limitations
A clean set of controls: butyrate did not substitute for acetate, the effect was independent of T cells, and blocking the downstream vitamin A metabolite removed it.
nutrient_topic
Acetic acid research collection; topical membership is not evidence of a direct clinical effect, and the ingested acid is recorded separately from the circulating acetate anion. · Acetic acid
organism
Mouse
plain_language
Acetate works by switching on the enzyme that turns vitamin A into its active form; block that and the effect is gone.
primary_references
[acetate-p27966553] Microbiota metabolite short-chain fatty acid acetate promotes intestinal IgA response to microbiota which is mediated by GPR43. (2017). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27966553/ DOI: 10.1038/mi.2016.114
tissue_or_cell_type
Intestinal mucosa
Acetic acid: the ingested acid, the receptors acetate binds, the acetyl-CoA it becomes, and the acetyl groups that reach histones (2026-09-21) · lines 394–405
AI-assisted literature curation; primary study URLs and scope retained in the document and extraction. Not publisher full text. · supports · GPR43 knockout mice with B-cell and dendritic-cell coculture and retinoic acid signalling blockade · source_derived_draft · unverified_draft
### acetate-acetate-vitamin-a-route Acetate promoted B-cell IgA class switching and IgA production in vitro in the presence of wild-type but not GPR43 knockout dendritic cells, and mechanistically acetate induced dendritic-cell expression of Aldh1a2, which converts vitamin A into retinoic acid, with blockade of retinoic acid signalling inhibiting the acetate-induced IgA production. Condition category: normal nutrient_topic: Acetic acid research collection; topical membership is not evidence of a direct clinical effect, and the ingested acid is recorded separately from the circulating acetate anion. plain_language: Acetate works by switching on the enzyme that turns vitamin A into its active form; block that and the effect is gone. organism: Mouse tissue_or_cell_type: Intestinal mucosa experimental_model: GPR43 knockout mice with B-cell and dendritic-cell coculture and retinoic acid signalling blockade limitations: A clean set of controls: butyrate did not substitute for acetate, the effect was independent of T cells, and blocking the downstream vitamin A metabolite removed it. exposure: Dietary acetate or butyrate in wild-type and GPR43 knockout mice, with in vitro IgA class switching assays evidence_span: {"source_cache": "artifacts/acetate-research/27966553.abstract.txt", "locator": "Indexed abstract; zero-based, end-exclusive Unicode character offsets", "file_sha256": "25ef476e62dd28f354099501d2919c3f765aaddd89d1a05739e3e0dc703d11ac", "start_char": 0, "end_char": 1363, "text_sha256": "25ef476e62dd28f354099501d2919c3f765aaddd89d1a05739e3e0dc703d11ac"} [acetate-p27966553] Microbiota metabolite short-chain fatty acid acetate promotes intestinal IgA response to microbiota which is mediated by GPR43. (2017). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27966553/ DOI: 10.1038/mi.2016.114
Complete structured claim and evidence
Retinoic acid production following retinol administration was reduced 8.5-fold in Adh4-null mice and 4.8-fold in Adh1-null mice, showing overlapping roles for Adh1 and Adh4 in both ethanol and retinol metabolism.
Experimental Adh4-null mouse genotype → Production of retinoic acid from retinol source_derived_draftungraded
Experimental context and source evidence
availability_state
machinery_impairment Imported condition classification; unverified.
evidence_span
{"source_cache": "artifacts/alcohol-research/10358022.abstract.txt", "locator": "Indexed abstract; zero-based, end-exclusive Unicode character offsets", "file_sha256": "c1e4e6f0703d814d36609e71a38be53f7c36bebcfdcd3a60c52ea49625369305", "start_char": 0, "end_char": 1272, "text_sha256": "c1e4e6f0703d814d36609e71a38be53f7c36bebcfdcd3a60c52ea49625369305"}
experimental_model
Adh1, Adh3 and Adh4 null mutant mice with ethanol, formaldehyde and retinol challenges
exposure
Intoxicating ethanol dose, formaldehyde LD50, and retinol administration
limitations
A clean three-gene dissection showing which enzyme does which job. It is a mouse gene family that does not map one-to-one onto the human one.
nutrient_topic
Alcohol research collection; topical membership is not evidence of a direct clinical effect, and ethanol is recorded separately from the acetaldehyde it becomes. · Ethanol
organism
Mouse
plain_language
The same enzymes that clear alcohol also turn vitamin A into its signalling form.
primary_references
[alcohol-p10358022] Metabolic deficiencies in alcohol dehydrogenase Adh1, Adh3, and Adh4 null mutant mice. Overlapping roles of Adh1 and Adh4 in ethanol clearance and metabolism of retinol to retinoic acid. (1999). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10358022/ DOI: 10.1074/jbc.274.24.16796
tissue_or_cell_type
Liver and embryo
trigger_kind
machinery_impairment Imported condition classification; unverified.
Alcohol: ethanol clearance, acetaldehyde, the channels it binds, organ injury and nutrient collisions (2026-09-21) · lines 241–252
AI-assisted literature curation; primary study URLs and scope retained in the document and extraction. Not publisher full text. · supports · Adh1, Adh3 and Adh4 null mutant mice with ethanol, formaldehyde and retinol challenges · source_derived_draft · unverified_draft
### alcohol-adh-retinoic-acid Retinoic acid production following retinol administration was reduced 8.5-fold in Adh4-null mice and 4.8-fold in Adh1-null mice, showing overlapping roles for Adh1 and Adh4 in both ethanol and retinol metabolism. Condition category: machinery_impairment nutrient_topic: Alcohol research collection; topical membership is not evidence of a direct clinical effect, and ethanol is recorded separately from the acetaldehyde it becomes. plain_language: The same enzymes that clear alcohol also turn vitamin A into its signalling form. organism: Mouse tissue_or_cell_type: Liver and embryo experimental_model: Adh1, Adh3 and Adh4 null mutant mice with ethanol, formaldehyde and retinol challenges limitations: A clean three-gene dissection showing which enzyme does which job. It is a mouse gene family that does not map one-to-one onto the human one. exposure: Intoxicating ethanol dose, formaldehyde LD50, and retinol administration evidence_span: {"source_cache": "artifacts/alcohol-research/10358022.abstract.txt", "locator": "Indexed abstract; zero-based, end-exclusive Unicode character offsets", "file_sha256": "c1e4e6f0703d814d36609e71a38be53f7c36bebcfdcd3a60c52ea49625369305", "start_char": 0, "end_char": 1272, "text_sha256": "c1e4e6f0703d814d36609e71a38be53f7c36bebcfdcd3a60c52ea49625369305"} [alcohol-p10358022] Metabolic deficiencies in alcohol dehydrogenase Adh1, Adh3, and Adh4 null mutant mice. Overlapping roles of Adh1 and Adh4 in ethanol clearance and metabolism of retinol to retinoic acid. (1999). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10358022/ DOI: 10.1074/jbc.274.24.16796
Complete structured claim and evidence

The events it takes part in

A mechanism often involves more than two components. These are the full events, with every participant and its role.

Situations it appears in

Low-supply and faulty-machinery situations recorded in the chapters where this component plays a part.

In the sources

Preserved passages that mention this component, quoted exactly. Open one to read it in context.

Open hypotheses

Proposed ideas that involve this component. They are labeled as hypotheses and do not change any recorded statement.

This is a research prototype built from draft material. It is not medical advice, and its statements still await verification against the original studies.

All-trans retinoic acid