Screening of Human Primary Melanocytes of Defined Melanocortin‐1 Receptor Genotype: Pigmentation Marker,Ultrastructural and UV‐Survival Studies

Recent population studies have demonstrated an association with the red‐hair and fair‐skin phenotype with variant alleles of the melanocortin‐1 receptor (MC1R) which result in amino acid substitutions within the coding region leading to an altered receptor activity. In particular, Arg151Cys, Arg160Trp and Asp294His were the most commonly associated variants seen in the south‐east Queensland population with at least one of these alleles found in 93% of those with red hair. In order to study the individual effects of these variants on melanocyte biology and melanocytic pigmentation, we established a series of human melanocyte strains genotyped for the MC1R receptor which included wild‐type consensus, variant heterozygotes, compound heterozygotes and homozygotes for Arg151Cys, Arg160Trp, Val60Leu and Val92Met alleles. These strains ranged from darkly pigmented to amelanotic, with all strains of consensus sequence having dark pigmentation. UV sensitivity was found not to be associated with either MC1R genotype or the level of pigmentation with a range of sensitivities seen across all genotypes. Ultrastructural analysis demonstrated that while consensus strains contained stage IV melanosomes in their terminal dendrites, Arg151Cys and Arg160Trp homozygote strains contained only stage II melanosomes. This was despite being able to show expression of tyrosinase and tyrosinase‐related protein‐1 markers, although at reduced levels and an ability to convert exogenous 3,4‐dihydroxyphenyl‐alanine (DOPA) to melanin in these strains.     

Characterization of Melanogenesis in Normal Human Epidermal Melanocytes by Chemical and Ultrastructural Analysis

Chemical and ultrastructural studies were conducted to define the relationship between type of melanogenesis and fine structures of melanosomes in normal human epidermal melanocytes. Chemical analysis of epidermal melanin demonstrated that the ratio of eumelanin/pheomelanin varied individually, ranging from 1.31 to exclusively eumelanic. Ultrastructural analysis of fine structures of melanosomes revealed that spheroid melanosomes were frequently observed in melanocytes of the epidermis whose eumelanin/pheomelanin ratio was less than 5. Conversely, ellipsoid melanosomes predominated in melanocytes of the epidermis whose ratio was more than 10. On the basis of these findings, it seems reasonable to conclude that 1) normal human epidermal melanocytes synthesize both eumelanin and pheomelanin and 2) pheomelanin synthesis may be characterized by the presence of spheroid melanosomes whereas eumelanin synthesis is ascribed to ellipsoid melanosomes.     

Newer Melanogenesis Control and Melanoma Eradication

Further advances leading to more sophisticated and effective suppression of melanogenesis and melanoma growth based on clarification and utilization of common vital factors involved in both processes are reviewed. Induction of depigmentation has been achieved by both glycosylation and its processing inhibitors, which have been found to be critical for the maturation and transport of tyrosinase from ribosomes through GERL-coated vesicles into premelanosomes. Kojic acid, a copper chelating melanogenic inhibitor, can induce inhibition of isolated tyrosinase activity as well as melanization in living pigment cells in in vitro and in vivo systems. This depigmenting effect was found to be due to a concurrent decrease in both eu- and pheomelanin formation. Malignant melanoma principally has accentuated melanosome genesis, which has been utilized to accumulate selectively ¹⁰B into melanoma cells using ¹⁰B-dopa analogue. Subsequent thermal neutron irradiation induces ¹⁰B(n, α)⁷Li reaction which releases high LET particles within a range of 10–14 μm thus erradicating selectively melanoma at the cellular level. This new therapy has been applied to a human melanoma lesion for the first time, and a successful therapeutic effect on melanoma has been obtained.     

Regulation of Melanogenesis Induced by 5-Methoxypsoralen Without Ultraviolet Light in Murine Melanoma Cells

Melanogenesis in melanoma cells can be enhanced by psoralens in the absence of UV light. Melanin biosynthesis is regulated by a number of melanocyte-specific proteins, including tyrosinase, DOPAchrome tautomerase (DCT), and tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1, gp75). To get more insight on the molecular mechanisms involved in psoralens-induced melanogenesis, we determined tyrosinase and DCT activities as well as mRNA and protein levels of tyrosinase, DCT, and TRP-1 in S91 mouse melanoma cells treated by 5-MOP. High concentration of 5-MOP (5 × 10^-5 M) induced a time-dependent increase of tyrosinase activity and melanin content, which was correlated to an increase of both mRNA and protein levels of tyrosinase. These results demonstrate that the 5-MOP stimulation of melanogenesis is related to increased tyrosinase synthesis. In addition, 5-MOP stimulated TRP-1 synthesis and induced a dose-dependent decrease of DCT activity without any modification in the expression of the protein. We explored then the signalling pathways involved in 5-MOP-induced melanogenesis and, particularly, the role of cyclic AMP and protein kinase C (PKC). A small stimulation of cyclic AMP production was observed in presence of 5-MOP. Furthermore, 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol (OAG), a PKC activator, potentiated the 5-MOP stimulation of tyrosinase activity, while calphostin, a specific PKC inhibitor, inhibited the 5-MOP induction of tyrosinase activity. Phorbol-myristate acetate (PMA), described as a strong activator of PKC, inhibited also the effect of 5-MOP when used at long term. Taken together, these results demonstrate that in murine melanoma cells 5-MOP stimulates melanogenesis by increasing activity and synthesis of tyrosinase. Tyrosinase and TRP-1 expression are coordinately regulated by 5-MOP Furthermore, a negative correlation between melanogenesis and DCT activity was observed under 5-MOP stimulation. At least, PKA and PKC systems appear to play an important role in the melanogenic effect of 5-MOP.     

Possible Involvement of ERK 1/2 in UVA‐Induced Melanogenesis in Cultured Normal Human Epidermal Melanocytes

UV‐induced melanogenesis is a well known physiological response of human skin exposed to solar radiation; however, the signaling molecules involved in the stimulation of melanogenesis in melanocytes following UV exposure remain unclear. In this study we induced melanogenesis in vitro in normal human epidermal melanocytes using a single irradiation with UVA at 1 kJ/m² and examined the potential involvement of mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPK) as UVA‐responsive signaling molecules in those cells. UVA irradiation did not affect the proliferation of melanocytes, but it did increase tyrosinase mRNA expression, which reached a maximum level 4 hr after UVA irradiation. The amount of tyrosinase protein, as quantitated by immunoblotting, was also increased at 24 hr following UVA irradiation. Among the MAPK examined, extracellular signal‐related kinase (ERK) 1/2 was phosphorylated within 15 min of UVA irradiation, but no such phosphorylation was observed for c‐Jun N‐terminal kinases (JNK) or p38. Accordingly, the activity of ERK1/2 was also increased shortly after UVA irradiation. These responses of ERK1/2 to UVA irradiation were markedly inhibited when cells were pre‐treated with N‐acetyl‐l ‐cysteine, an antioxidant, or with suramin, a tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor. The formation of (6‐4)photoproducts or cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers was not detected in cellular DNA after UVA irradiation. These findings suggest that a single UVA irradiation‐induced melanogenesis is associated with the activation of ERK1/2 by upstream signals that originate from reactive oxygen species or from activated tyrosine kinase receptors, but not from damaged DNA.     

Preparation of Purified Tyrosinase Devoid of Dopachrome Tautomerase From Mammalian Malignant Melanocytes

Although tyrosinase has been considered for a long time the only enzyme involved in mammalian melanosynthesis, it has been shown that mouse melanoma melanosomes contain high levels of dopachrome tautomerase (DCT²), an enzyme catalyzing DC tautomerization to DHICA. At least in B16 mouse melanoma, DCT is present in higher catalytic amounts than tyrosinase. Moreover, it can be anticipated that tyrosinase and DCT should be very difficult to resolve by most conventional biochemical techniques because of the structural similarity between these enzymes, as predicted from the sequence of their corresponding cDNAs. It is shown that the presence of DCT can cause serious artifacts when tyrosinase activity is determined by most of the currently available methods, such as the Dopa oxidase and melanin formation assays. We describe a simple and convenient method for the preparation of tyrosinase devoid of DCT. The method takes advantage of the different thermal stability of both enzymes. Heating of crude melanosomal extracts at 60°C for 1 hr results in a complete denaturation of DCT, while tyrosinase activity is recovered almost quantitatively. The resulting tyrosinase preparation is considerably purified and the electrophoretic, immunologic and kinetic characteristics of the enzyme appear unaltered. Because if its high yield and simplicity, the method can be used for the microscale partial purification of DCT-free tyrosinase from mammalian malignant melanocytes grown in culture.     

Calcium Plays a Complex Role in the Regulation of Melanogenesis in Murine B16 Melanoma Cells

To learn more of the role of calcium in the regulation of melanogenesis, we have used direct manipulation of medium calcium and pharmacological modulation of intracellular calcium to examine the consequences on unstimulated and cyclic AMP elevated tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis and distribution in B16 melanoma cells. In unstimulated cells, calcium is clearly inhibitory to tyrosinase activity. However, in cells stimulated with cAMP-elevating agents the requirement for extracellular calcium was changed such that cells required a minimum of 0.4–0.6 mmol medium calcium for maximum tyrosinase response to these agents. Paradoxically, pharmacologically increasing intracellular calcium in cAMP-stimulated cells with ionophore inhibited tyrosinase activity, and the calcium-lowering agent TMB8 and the calcium channel blocker verapamil both stimulated tyrosinase activity. When melanin synthesis was measured in cAMP-stimulated cells, TMB8 was found to significantly increase the sensitivity and the maximum melanogenic response to α-MSH, suggesting the presence of at least one level of endogenous calcium inhibitory control operative in these cells. In addition, TMB8 changed the distribution of melanin between the cell and the medium such that, in the presence of α-MSH and TMB8, significantly more melanin was secreted into the medium. These data suggest that calcium is required for several steps in melanogenesis, having an apparently inhibitory effect on pre-tyrosinase activity in unstimulated cells, but also showing evidence of a positive role in cyclic AMP-stimulated tyrosinase activity, as well as a further possible inhibitory role in melanin movement or secretion.     

FLT4 调控羊驼黑色素细胞中黑色素生成

血管内皮素生长因子受体3（vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3,VEGFR-3/FLT4）与黑色素瘤细胞的生长有关,其可能对毛色及黑色素生成有一定的调控作用。为探讨FLT4基因对羊驼毛色及黑色素生成的影响,本文采用免疫组织化学、qRT-PCR、Western印迹对FLT4在不同毛色羊驼皮肤毛囊中的表达进行了研究。结果显示,FLT4在不同毛色毛囊中外根鞘及毛乳头阳性表达不同,且棕色皮肤比白色皮肤阳性信号强;FLT4 mRNA在棕色羊驼皮肤的表达量明显高于白色羊驼皮肤 (P<0.01);FLT4蛋白在棕色皮肤中的表达量明显高于白色皮肤(P<0.01);为进一步研究FLT4对黑色素生成的影响;通过对体外培养的羊驼皮肤黑色素细胞中添加不同浓度的FLT4蛋白（0, 1, 10, 50, 100 ng/mL）,与对照组相比,添加FLT4蛋白后酪氨酸酶(TYR)、酪氨酸相关蛋白-1(TYRP1)、受体酪氨酸激酶 c-KIT、小眼畸形相关转录因子(MITF)的 mRNA和蛋白质表达明显增加, 10 ng/mL组表达量最高(P<0.01);黑色素含量测定结果表明,不同浓度的FLT4蛋白处理的羊驼皮肤黑色素细胞的黑色素含量比对照组明显升高,添加FLT4蛋白10 ng/mL表达量最高(P<0.01)。由此可知,FLT4可以通过调节毛色相关基因的表达进而引起黑色素细胞中黑色素含量的变化。     

Production of Melanocyte‐Specific Antibodies to Human Melanosomal Proteins: Expression Patterns in Normal Human Skin and in Cutaneous Pigmented Lesions

Multiple factors affect skin pigmentation, including those that regulate melanocyte and/or keratinocyte function. Such factors, particularly those that operate at the level of the melanosome, are relatively well characterized in mice, but the expression and function of structural and enzymatic proteins in melanocytes in human skin are not as well known. Some years ago, we generated peptide‐specific antibodies to murine melanosomal proteins that proved to be instrumental in elucidating melanocyte development and differentiation in mice, but cross‐reactivity of those antibodies with the corresponding human proteins often was weak or absent. In an effort to characterize the roles of melanosomal proteins in human skin pigmentation, and to understand the underlying mechanism(s) of abnormal skin pigmentation, we have now generated polyclonal antibodies against the human melanocyte‐specific markers, tyrosinase, tyrosinase‐related protein 1 (TYRP1), Dopachrome tautomerase (DCT) and Pmel17 (SILV, also known as GP100). We used these antibodies to determine the distribution and function of melanosomal proteins in normal human skin (adult and newborn) and in various cutaneous pigmented lesions, such as intradermal nevi, lentigo simplex, solar lentigines and malignant melanomas. We also examined cytokeratin expression in these same samples to assess keratinocyte distribution and function. Immunohistochemical staining reveals distinct patterns of melanocyte distribution and function in normal skin and in various types of cutaneous pigmented lesions. Those differences in the expression patterns of melanocyte markers provide important clues to the roles of melanocytes in normal and in disrupted skin pigmentation.     

DKK3调控羊驼黑色素细胞中黑色素生成

Dickkopf-3(DKK3),Wnt/p-catenin信号通路中一个重要的抑制因子,可能参与调控黑色素生成过程.本文研究了DKK3在羊驼黑色素细胞中黑色素生成的作用.在羊驼黑色素细胞中,过表达DKK3显著下调Wntl,Lefl,Myc和黑色素生成相关基因MITF及其下游基因TYR,TYRP1和TYRP2的表达,在...     

Molecular and Biological Control of Melanogenesis Through Tyrosinase Genes and Intrinsic and Extrinsic Regulatory Factors

Non-premelanosomal melanogenic compartments and their melanogenesis-controlling functions have been further elucidated. In addition to enzymatic and nonenzymatic controlling factors, we have also been exploring the role of melanogenesis-related genes. Naturally occurring intrinsic melanogenic inhibitors, MW <6,000(α), 6,000-30,000(β), and >30,000(γ), having different modes of action, have been identified within melanoma cells. One of the α-type melanogenic inhibitors of isolated tyrosinase(Ty) nonsuppressive types, later identified as lactic acid, induces depigmentation of cultured B-16 cells by the reduction in Ty activity level due to the inhibition of its mRNA expression. The transfection of Ty cDNA, rather than nuclear DNA-binding master regulatory gene, can induce, within both Ty-deficient amelanotic melanoma cells and also within fibroblasts, melanin polymer formation. This multisequential step occurs not only by the induction of Ty synthesis but also by the induction of other regulatory proteins and factors such as dopachrome tautomerase, DHICA-oxidase, catalase, Ty-glycosylation in GERL, and Ty-transfer by coated vesicles to newly assigned melanogenic vacuoles in which not only eumelanin but also rather pronounced concomitant pheomelanin formation is seen. Investigation of melanin-producing vacuoles in transfected fibroblasts and reexamination of premelanosomes in pigment cells has revealed the following: 1) Melanosomes possess phagocytic ability; 2) melanosomes receive tyrosinase and hydrolases via coated vesicles from GERL; 3) melanosomes possess lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP-1); 4) amelanotic melanoma contains lysosome-like vacuoles with myelin figures that acquire typical premelanosome structure after Ty-cDNA transfection. Thus it is proposed that melanosomes are specialized lysosomes in pigment cells. Coated vesicles synthesize melanin monomers such as DHICA and some DHI, and have a monomer-stabilizing system. Thus they can transport them in intact form with Ty to premelanosomes, which subsequently polymerize these monomers by the action of DHICA-oxidase and T₃-Ty. Selective eradication and diagnosis of malignant melanoma using our ¹⁰B-dopa analogue has been successfully performed in human melanoma patients using combined thermal neutron irradiation for the former and positron emission CT for the latter.     

Melanogenesis and Melanoma

Melanins are the principal surface pigments in vertebrates and, in humans, play a major role in photoprotection. Although the product (melanin) has a mainly protective function in the skin, the process of melanogenesis represents a potential cellular hazard and is confined to special membrane‐limited organelles (melanosomes) in a set of specialized dendritic cells (melanocytes) which synthesize the pigment and transfer it to recipient cells. Malignant melanocytes tend to exhibit up‐regulated melanogenesis and defective melanosomes. These features suggest ways in which anti‐melanoma therapy may be specifically targeted. Two general chemotherapeutic modalities are considered:
1 The ‘Achilles heel’ approach in which the generation of reactive quinones capable of leaking into the cytosolic compartment and causing structural and functional derangement is encouraged by the use of analogue substrates.
2 The ‘Trojan horse’ approach, in which a cytotoxic agent is selectively released by a tyrosinase‐dependent mechanism.     

Melanogenesis in dermal melanocytes of Japanese Silky chicken embryos

The Japanese Silky chicken (SK) shows dermal and visceral hyperpigmentation. This study characterizes ultrastructurally the melanin granules developing in dermal melanocytes of the dorsal skin of SK, in an attempt to better understand the processes of melanogenesis in these permanently ectopic cells. The steps of melanogenesis are similar to those described for epidermal melanocytes, with melanosomes going from stage I to IV but, in SK, the maturation occurs in the cell body, as well as in the cytoplasmic processes. At stage III, the deposition of melanin is cumulative and can aggregate in rounded structures, which combine to turn into the mature granule. The final destiny of mature melanosomes is still unclear, although it was observed that dermal macrophages can accumulate melanin granules in their phagosomes. Even with the close proximity between melanocytes and other dermal cells, the transference of melanosomes was not observed. Our findings indicate that melanogenesis in dermal melanocytes in SK has the same morphological characteristics found in epidermal melanocytes, but the functional aspect still remains to be elucidated.     

Fine Structure of Melanogenesis in the Ink Sac of Sepia offidnalis

The ink sac epithelium of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis was investigated by electron microscopy. Melanogenesis in a simplified view seems to follow the general scheme of melanin formation in vertebrates. First, a membrane-bound protein matrix is formed, which is called an early stage melanosome. The early stage melanosomes are more or less irregular in shape with a size up to 1.5 μm and contain membranous, granular, or vesicular material. They seem to originate from Golgi bodies and/or endoplasmic reticulum. Membranes that frequently are present in the early stage melanosomes may originate from fusion of vesicles or from incorporation of Golgi membranes into early stage melanosomes. Free cytoplasmic material or mitochondria probably are also incorporated into the early stage melanosomes or melanosomes. Therefore, the origin of the early stage melanosomes seems to be similar to that of autophagosomes. The early stage melanosomes mature to melanosomes in which several dozen melanin granules are formed. These melanosomes, at last, release the melanin granules together with other cellular material, including early stage melanosomes, into the lumen of the ink gland. This finding confirms the earlier postulated holocrine character of the release. Active tyrosinase was localized in the lumen of the ink sac as already shown by biochemical methods. There was also additional evidence that most of the material of broken down cells inside the lumen of the ink sac seems to be converted into melanin granules.     

Melanosome Formation in Cultured Amelanotic Melanophores of Rana brevipoda by a Frog Tyrosinase cDNA Transfection

A cDNA encoding tyrosinase of Rana nigromaculata was introduced into cultured, tyrosinase-negative amelanotic melanophores of R. brevipoda by a calcium phosphate precipitation method. Within a few days following transfection, dark pigmentation became visible in a small number of cells. Light microscopic observation revealed that the morphology of these transformed cells was comparable to that of normal melanophores in culture, and their proliferative activity was lower than that of amelanotic cells. Ultrastructural examination verified that amelanotic melanophores possessed a relatively small number of premelanosomes while the transformants contained numerous melanosomes at various stages of pigment deposition. The result indicated that tyrosinase cDNA of R. nigromaculata was expressed in amelanotic melanophores of R. brevipoda inducing the maturation of premelanosomes. It was also suggested that the expression of transfected tyrosinase cDNA had promoted differentiation of the amelanotic cells into fully developed melanophores.