A Novel Histochemical Method for a Simultaneous Staining of Melanin and Collagen Fibers

For the histopathologic diagnosis of melanocytic lesions, it could be necessary to identify the melanin pigment because its visualization is unspecific with hematoxylin-eosin (HE). The Fontana-Masson (FM) technique is used in histopathology in this type of lesion, which allows the identification of the pigment, but it loses all the morphologic parameters. The authors describe a modification to the FM method, for the evaluation of the morphology, the argentaffin reaction of the melanin, and collagens fibers of the extracellular matrix simultaneously, for which they have developed the Fontana-Masson picrosirius (FMPS) method. Biopsies of different melanocytic lesions were used for the performance of the HE, FM, and FMPS methods. The pixel intensity of the reaction for melanin, collagen, and epithelium was determined with ImageJ software. The FMPS method allows the evaluation of morphological characteristics, identifying the melanin pigment and collagen fibers with high intensity simultaneously. This method does not differ significantly from FM in the identification of melanin, maintaining its sensitivity and specificity. In addition, it does not differ in the demonstration of the morphology with HE. However, FMPS is significantly superior in the identification of collagen fibers. The FMPS method combines morphological and histochemical parameters that could be useful in the study of pigmented lesions of melanocytic origin.     

NEURONAL PIGMENTS: SPECTROSCOPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF HUMAN BRAIN MELANIN

Abstract— A method has been established for the characterization of synthetic melanins obtained from dopamine, norepinephrine, and structurally related compounds which permits the identification of the precursor substrate of the melanin. This is done by interpreting the absorption spectra and the first derivative curves of these melanins solubilized in sodium borohydride. Using this method, the melanin pigment obtained from the substantia nigra of human brain has been shown to be very similar to dopamine-melanin and not DOPA- or norepinephrine-melanins.     

A NEW CHEMICAL METHOD FOR QUANTIFYING MELANIN1

—A direct chemical method for the estimation of absolute amounts of synthetic melanin is established by the use of sodium borohydride, a mild reducing agent for the ketonic or aldehyde carbonyl group. Sodium borohydride not only solubilized the melanins obtained from various precursors, but it also restored aromatic characteristics in the absorption spectra. The solubilized melanin has also been used with a radio-assay method for quantification of synthetic melanin. With this method of solubilization, the presence of lipids or proteins does not alter the linearity of the assay. The limiting amount of melanin detected by this method is 4-5 μg/ml of the final solution.     

Methods to evaluate nodulation competitiveness between Sinorhizobium meliloti strains using melanin production as a marker

Three methods to evaluate the relative ability of different strains of Sinorhizobium meliloti to occupy nodules formed on alfalfa after co-inoculation were compare in this study. Results obtained using the three methods of evaluation together, provided insight into the relative nodulation competitiveness between two given sinorhizobial strains. A simple visual phenotypic marker, i.e., melanin production was used to distinguish individual strains in a given assay. As such, melanin producing strains were compared with melanin non-producing strains throughout this study. Method 1 required the use of an ELISA plate, took 35 min for the analysis of 40 nodules, and allowed strain identification by melanin production 2 days after nodule harvest. Method 2 required 3 h for the analysis of 40 nodules, used an ELISA plate, growth of bacteria on Petri dishes, and melanin production was analysed after 48 h of cell culture. Finally, method 3 involved the whole nodulated plant root, required less material than the above methods, and results were obtained after 24 h. Only method 2 was useful in determining if both a melanin producing strain and a melanin non-producing strain had occupied an individual nodule. Each of the three methods represented a rapid way of studying strain competition for field studies, using a natural trait as a marker.     

A Standardized Test for the Identification and Characterization of Melanins Using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) Spectroscopy

Melanins are complex, incompletely understood polymeric pigments that historically have been difficult to investigate with common chemical, histochemical, and physicochemical techniques. Because these pigments uniquely contain a stable population of organic free radicals, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is a particularly effective method for studying them, and a set of qualitative EPR criteria has been established for their identification. However, a number of practical problems have arisen in applying these criteria to identify and characterize unknown pigments in relatively scarce pathological specimens, indicating that a standardized approach is needed. As reported here, a standardized EPR test for melanin based on the EPR criteria has been developed, guided by the requirements that it be sensitive, accurate, simple, and easy to interpret. It has been evaluated using the well-characterized synthetic melanin prepared by alkaline autooxidation of 5,6-dihydroxyphenylalanine (Dopa) and initially applied to the identification and characterization of an unknown pigment purified from an unusual malignant lung tumor.     

Relationship between melanin content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the liver of various species of animals

The scavenger effect of melanin and of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity on superoxide anion has been shown. In this work we show the relationship between melanin content and SOD activity in livers containing different quantities of melanin which were taken from various species of animals. The mitochondrial SOD activity disappears when the melanin content in the liver is very high; moreover it increases, in the liver of various species of animals examined, proportionally to the decrease of melanin content. No significant variation of the SOD activity localized in the soluble fraction has been detected when related to the melanin content. We think that in the pigmented liver the antioxidant activity of the melanin could mimic part of the function of SOD. The loss of Mn SOD activity could be mediated by a low intracellular level of superoxide anion due to the scavenger effect of melanin on superoxide anion; in fact, it is well known that the biosynthesis of Mn SOD is induced by intracellular levels of superoxide anion.     

Inhibition of transglutaminase by synthetic tyrosine melanin

Transglutaminases catalyze the cross-linking and amine incorporation of proteins, and are implicated in various biological phenomena. Previously, we found a high molecular mass transglutaminase-inhibitory substance produced by Streptomyces lavendulae Y-200 that appeared to be a melanin substance. Here, we report that synthetic tyrosine melanin inhibited various types of transglutaminases. Tyrosine melanin inhibited tissue-type transglutaminase in a competitive manner with a glutamine substrate, and also inhibited the cross-linking of casein catalyzed by a tissue-type transglutaminase. The melanized hemolymph of the silkworm and melanin solutions prepared from melanin precursors inhibited tissue-type transglutaminase. These results suggested that the melanin substances generally inhibit transglutaminases.     

黑素皮质素受体1——哺乳动物黑色素形成中的关键基因MC1R——the Key Gene in Mammalian Melanin Synthesis

黑色素的形成与产生在动物的生长发育过程中受到许多基因的调控。本文综述了近年来被广泛研究的哺乳动物黑色素形成调控中的一个关键基因——黑素皮质素受体1（melanocortin-1-receptor, MC1R）基因的作用机制、DNA序列变异与黑色素性状之间的关系,并且对另一重要的脊椎动物类群——鸟类中MC1R基因的确定与突变情况作以概述,此外对乌骨鸡富含黑色素的原因和鸟类的黑色素形成机制也进行了探讨。Abstract: The study of the molecular regulation mechanism of melanin synthesis during animal development has become a new focus recently .The synthesis and production of melanin during animal development are regulated by many genes. This paper summarized the molecular function mechanism of melanocortin-1-receptor (MC1R) gene and the relationship between the consequences of polymorphic variation of the gene and melanin traits, in addition to summarized the identification and mutation of MC1R gene in birds. Furthermore, the reason of abundant melanin in silkies and melanin synthesis mechanism in birds are all also discussed here.     

Unlocking the molecular structure of fungal melanin using 13C biosynthetic labeling and solid-state NMR

Melanins are enigmatic pigments found in all biological kingdoms that are associated with a variety of functions, including microbial virulence. Despite being ubiquitous in nature, melanin pigments have long resisted atomic-level structural examination because of their insolubility and amorphous organization. Cryptococcus neoformans is a human pathogenic fungus that melanizes only when provided with exogenous substrate, thus offering a unique system for exploring questions related to melanin structure at the molecular level. We have exploited the requirement for exogenous substrate in melanin synthesis as well as the capabilities of high-resolution solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to establish the predominantly aliphatic composition of l-dopa melanin and to introduce (13)C labels that permit the identification of proximal carbons in the developing biopolymer. By swelling solid melanin samples in organic solvents and using two-dimensional heteronuclear NMR in conjunction with magic-angle spinning, we have identified chemical bonding patterns typical of alkane, alkene, alcohol, ketone, ester, and indole functional groups. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of a novel approach to determining the structure of melanin using metabolic labeling and NMR spectroscopy.     

向日葵籽壳黑色素的分离提取及生物活性研究*

目的:天然黑色素安全性高,兼具多种生物活性,深受消费者青睐,发展前景十分广阔。研究向日葵籽壳黑色素制备条件,以及抗氧化和吸附重金属生物活性,为其进一步应用提供理论基础。方法: 采用热碱提取、酸水解、有机溶剂洗涤和反复沉淀法,结合单因素与响应面分析法实现了黑色素的高效制备,利用氯化硝基四氮唑蓝还原法、分光光度法和静态吸附法进行抗氧化活性和吸附活性测定。结果: 成功制备了向日葵籽壳黑色素。提取结果表明最优工艺为氢氧化钠浓度0.11 mol/L、提取温度75.19℃、提取时间181.16 min、料液比为15.77∶1,向日葵籽壳黑色素得率为2.95%,与预测值相近,说明模型拟合良好,该优化工艺准确可行。抗氧化活性测定结果表明,向日葵籽壳黑色素清除超氧阴离子自由基、DPPH自由基的能力和还原力都高于合成型黑色素。吸附活性测定结果表明,向日葵籽壳黑色素对Pb²⁺、Cu²⁺和Cr³⁺的吸附效率高于合成型黑色素。结论: 与其合成型黑色素相比,天然黑色素既可作为着色剂,又兼抗氧化剂和吸附剂,且不亚于合成型黑色素的效果,可用于代替合成型黑色素开发的重要候选。     

MELANIN FORMATION BY HUMAN BRAIN IN VITRO

Abstract— A quantitative radiometric assay utilising incorporation of ¹⁴C from labelled precursors as a measure of melanin formation by human brain in vitro is described. The assay was validated by comparison with various criteria of melanin formation.
Catecholamines, DOPA and 5HT were precursors for brain melanin formation. Melanin formation was detected in all brain regions studied and was highest in substantia nigra and striatum.
The assay was used to evaluate various hypotheses of brain melanin formation. No evidence for enzymic activity was found and it is concluded that brain melanin formation may be a largely non-enzymic process.     

光谱法研究甲醇和盐酸对短梗霉黑色素的分离效果

应用紫外和红外光谱对甲醇和盐酸分离的短梗霉黑色素进行了分析。分析结果表明:甲醇和盐酸法分离的黑色素在紫外图谱215 nm处都有最大吸收峰,而甲醇法分离的黑色素其紫外图谱在260、280 nm处无吸收峰表明此法分离的黑色素不含核酸及蛋白质;红外图谱中,在3340 cm-1、1637 cm-1处有很强的吸收峰表现为黑色素的典型特征;同时在对照中发现盐酸多次处理后的黑色素显示较少的结构信息,说明盐酸沉降法有可能破坏黑色素的结构。由此选用甲醇作为沉淀剂有利于黑色素的纯化及确保其结构信息的完整,为进一步分析短梗霉黑色素的结构表征奠定了基础。     

Evolutionary and biomedical consequences of internal melanins

The adaptive function of melanin located in the integument is well known. Although pigments are also deposited in various internal organs, their function is unclear. A review of the literature revealed that ‘internal melanin’ protects against parasites, pollutants, low temperature, oxidative stress, hypoxemia and UV light, and is involved in the development and function of organs. Importantly, several studies have shown that the amount of melanin deposited on the external body surface is correlated with the amount located inside the body. This finding raises the possibility that internal melanin plays more important physiological roles in dark than light‐colored individuals. Internal melanin and coloration may therefore not evolve independently. This further emphasizes the major role played by indirect selection in evolutionary processes.     

Iron-Melanin Interaction and Lipid Peroxidation: Implications for Parkinson''s Disease

The vulnerability of substantia nigral (SN) melaninized dopamine neurons to neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease and the selective increases of iron and basal lipid peroxidation in SN indicate that iron-melanin interaction could be crucial to the pathogenesis of this disease. The present study describes, for the first time, the identification and characterization of a high-affinity (KD = 13 nM) and a lower affinity (KD = 200 nM) binding site for iron on dopamine melanin. The binding of iron to melanin is dependent on pH and the concentration of melanin. Iron chelators, U74500A, desferrioxamine, and to less extent 1,10-phenanthroline and chlorpromazine, but not the Parkinson-inducing neurotoxin, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, can inhibit the binding of iron to melanin and iron-induced lipid peroxidation. Although melanin alone diminishes basal lipid peroxidation in rat cortical homogenates, it can also potentiate that initiated by iron, a reaction inhibited by desferrioxamine. In the absence of an identifiable exogenous or endogenous neurotoxin in idiopathic Parkinson's disease, iron-melanin interaction in pars compacta of SN may be a strong candidate for the cytotoxic component of oxygen radical-induced neurodegeneration of melaninized dopamine neurons.     

Computational model for pathway reconstruction to unravel the evolutionary significance of melanin synthesis

Melanogenesis is a complex multistep process of high molecular weight melanins production by hydroxylation and polymerization of polyphenols. Melanins have a wide range of applications other than being a sun - protection pigment. Melanogenesis pathway exists from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. It has evolved over years owing to the fact that the melanin pigment has different roles in diverse taxa of organisms. Melanin plays a pivotal role in the existence of certain bacteria and fungi whereas in higher organisms it is a measure of protection against the harmful radiation. We have done a detailed study on various pathways known for melanin synthesis across species. It was divulged that melanin production is not restricted to tyrosine but there are other secondary metabolites that synthesize melanin in lower organisms. Furthermore the phylogenetic study of these paths was done to understand their molecular and cellular development. It has revealed that the melanin synthesis paths have co-evolved in several groups of organisms. In this study, we also introduce a method for the comparative analysis of a metabolic pathway to study its evolution based on similarity between enzymatic reactions.     

Bacterial melanin interacts with double-stranded DNA with high affinity and may inhibit cell metabolism in vivo

Melanin has been found to interact with a number of molecules including metal ions, antibiotics and proteins. In this study, we showed how melanin from bacteria can interact with double-stranded DNA. Investigation using capillary electrophoresis, various spectroscopic techniques and circular dichroism found that melanin interacts with DNA by intercalating between the base pairs of DNA. And this was further supported by simulating different forms of melanin docking to oligonucleotides. Transmission electron microscopy of recombinant Escherichia coli producing melanin suggested the interaction in vivo. Furthermore, we showed how the cytoplasmic localization of melanin may provide a novel function in inhibiting cellular metabolism using microcalorimetry. The implications of the interaction in prokaryotes and eukaryotes were discussed.     

大鲵皮肤色素提取工艺及抗氧化研究

为优化大鲵皮肤黑色素的提取工艺条件,探讨大鲵皮肤黑色素组成成分及体外抗氧化活性,采用酶法和碱溶酸沉法提取大鲵皮肤黑色素,以氢氧化钠浓度、液料比、提取温度为影响色素提取率因素,优化黑色素提取工艺条件,用紫外-可见光谱仪、红外光谱仪和超高效液相质谱仪测定黑色素的光谱特性,测定其抗氧化性。结果表明:大鲵皮肤黑色素最佳提取工艺条件为氢氧化钠浓度1.5 mol/L、液料比1∶15、提取温度45℃,黑色素提取率达0.65%。大鲵皮肤黑色素的紫外最大吸收波长为214 nm,由真黑色素和脱黑色素两种色素组成,其对超氧阴离子自由基的清除率为30.51%,对羟基自由基的清除率为54.17%。大鲵皮肤黑色素具有一定的体外抗氧化能力。     

Quantitative assay of melanin in melanoma cells in culture and in tumors

A simple method has been developed for the quantitative fluorimetric determination of melanin. In these studies, we have used synthetic melanin prepared from l-dopa by mushroom tyrosinase and natural melanin present in B16 mouse melanoma cells grown in culture or as a solid tumor. In the assay procedure, the melanin is oxidatively degraded into soluble products by heating in an alkaline, dilute hydrogen peroxide solution under standard conditions. The resulting solution has a characteristic fluorescence which is quantitatively related to the melanin initially present. The assay is very sensitive and can be applied directly to tissues or cell cultures, without prior isolation of the melanin.     

Differentiation and melanin production in hyaline and pigmented strains of Microdochium bolleyi

The effect of various compounds on growth, melanin biosynthesis and cell differentiation was studied in a hyaline (SH25) and a pigmented (SH25B) strain of Microdochium bolleyi. Dark pigment production by the hyaline strain was induced by the presence of DOPA and indole in the medium, both of which are intermediates in the tyrosine pathway of melanin biosynthesis. These substrates also induced conidia and chlamydospore production, structures which were not normally seen in the hyaline strain. The systemic fungicide, tricyclazole, inhibited melanin synthesis in the pigmented strain but not the development of chlamydospore-like cell structures.