GEOapplication/xmlftp://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/series/GSE330nnn/GSE330857/primaryOK200TranscriptomicsXenopus laevisExpression profiling by high throughput sequencinghttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE330857GEOGSEfalseSignaling through RXRβ and its agonist, bexarotene, promotes neuron formation in Xenopus laevis embryosRetinoic acid, acting through RAR/RXR nuclear receptors, is required for neuronal differentiation in Xenopus laevis. Bexarotene, characterised as a pan-RXR agonist, reduces the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in mouse models by clearing amyloid plaque and by promoting neurogenesis. In this paper, we show that RXR-initiated bexarotene signaling generates additional neurons both during normal Xenopus laevis development and in ectodermal explants in which BMP- signaling is inhibited. Differential gene expression between ectodermal explants taken from uninjected and embryos co-injected with mRNA that expresses Noggin, a BMP antagonist, and RXRβ identifies genes mediating change from an epidermal to a neural fate. The explants express genes associated with an anterior neural, but not neuronal fate. The addition of bexarotene to equivalent co-injected explants activates genes that promote neuronal differentiation and posterior character, including genes of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. Xenopus ectodermal explants therefore provide a simple and efficient tool to identify novel retinoid agonists that promote neuronal differentiation. The genes expressed in response to bexarotene are consistent with a pathway to neuronal differentiation allied to standard retinoid signalling.2026/06/18GSE330857GSM9733778GSM9733777GSM9733779GSM9733785GSM9733784GSM9733781GSM9733780GSM9733783GSM973378235244330857Xenopus laevis