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Abstract
Retinoids are essential for reproduction. Most research has focused on the role of
retinoic acid signaling in the regulation of meiosis during early fetal germ cell
development. However, less attention has been paid to the possible effects of retinoic
acid signaling in adult female gonads. Retinoic acid, its receptors, and the key enzymes
required for retinoic acid synthesis are expressed in the ovaries and they are involved
in the regulation of folliculogenesis and steroidogenesis. Exposure to compounds that
can interfere with normal retinoic acid signaling is associated with adverse ovarian
outcomes, including altered steroidogenesis and reduction in indicators of ovarian
reserve in women and laboratory animal models. These observations call for more attention
to retinoids as regulators of adult ovarian physiology and as possible targets of
endocrine disruption by environmental chemicals. In this review, we summarize the
current knowledge of retinoids in folliculogenesis and steroidogenesis in post-pubertal
mammalian ovaries.