Retinoids regulate expression of the retinol‐binding protein gene in hepatoma cells in culture

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Abstract
The expression of the gene coding for retinol‐binding protein has been studied in a system of cultured human hepatoma cells exposed to retinoids. We report that the gene is positively modulated by retinol and retinoic acid in a time‐ and dose‐dependent fashion. The stimulation at the mRNA level is paralleled by an increase of the corresponding protein that is secreted in the presence of the physiological ligand. An RBP‐CAT chimeric gene, introduced by transfection, is also responsive to the treatment, showing the gene dose‐dependency as the endogenous gene. These results demonstrate that retinoids up‐regulate the RBP gene and that the control takes place at transcriptional level.