Efficient induction of mucosal immunity usually employs nasal or oral vaccination while parenteral immunization generally is ineffective at generating mucosal immune responses. This relates to the unique ability of resident mucosal dendritic cells (DC) to induce IgA switching and to imprint mucosa-specific homing receptors on lymphocytes. Based on the well-established plasticity of the DC system, this study sought to investigate whether peripheral DC could be modulated toward "mucosa-type" DC by treatment with immunomodulatory, and therefore potentially adjuvant-like, factors. In this study, we show that monocyte-derived DCs pretreated with the vitamin A derivative all-trans retinoic acid (RA) indeed acquired several attributes characteristic of mucosal DC: secretion of TGF-beta and IL-6 and the capacity to augment mucosal homing receptor expression and IgA responses in cocultured lymphocytes. Addition of a TGF-beta-neutralizing Ab to cocultures significantly inhibited alpha4beta7 integrin, but not CCR9 mRNA expression by the lymphocytes. Both alpha4beta7 integrin and CCR9 mRNA expression, but not IgA production, were suppressed in the presence of a RA receptor antagonist. None of the observed effects on the lymphocytes were influenced by citral, a retinal dehydrogenase inhibitor, arguing against a role for de novo-synthesized RA. Collectively, our findings identified a novel role for RA as a mucosal immune modulator targeting DC. Our results further demonstrate that DC can act as efficient carriers of RA at least in vitro. Consequently, RA targeting of DC shows potential for promoting vaccine-induced mucosal immune responses via a parenteral route of immunization.