Researchers find the ancestral function of the retinoic acid, an essential molecule in the evolution

In molecular biology, retinoic acid is a known molecule due its key role in signalling pathways in the embryonic development of vertebrates. However, not much is known about its origins in the metazoan evolution. An international team has described for the first time the ancestral function of the retinoic acid in the lineage of animals with bilateral symmetry, according to an article published in the journal Science Advances, with the participation of the lecturer Ricard Albalat, from the Faculty of Biology and the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) of the University of Barcelona. 

Retinoic acid (RA) is an important molecule in the physiology and embryonic development of the phylogenetic line of chordates. Derived from vitamin A (retinol), it is a necessary factor to regulate the gene expression in several processes –cell proliferation and differentiation during the embryonic development- and the formation of body symmetry patterns.

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