Review
Ecology
Sarah Britton, Goggy Davidowitz
Summary: Melanin, the most common pigment type in animals, has various adaptive roles. However, the effects of diet on melanin pigmentation are not well understood. This systematic literature review highlights common patterns and mechanisms by which diet influences melanin in animals. It discusses the influence of dietary components on melanin, the effects of diet on melanin-based traits, and the factors that mediate the relationship between diet and melanin. The study finds that diet has complex effects on melanin, influencing traits such as size, darkness, and color. Factors such as trait type, life stage, and environmental stress also play a role in mediating the influence of diet on melanin. The study concludes by identifying important areas for future research on the mechanisms connecting diet and melanin, the effects of diet on internal melanin, the costs of melanin pigmentation, and the evolution of melanin-based traits.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Dermatology
Qiuying Chen, Dalee Zhou, Zalfa Abdel-Malek, Fengli Zhang, Philip S. Goff, Elena Sviderskaya, Kazumasa Wakamatsu, Shosuke Ito, Steven S. Gross, Jonathan H. Zippin
Summary: A new method was developed to actively measure the synthesis of both eumelanin and pheomelanin using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, shedding new light on melanin synthesis and revealing new insights into the mechanisms of melanogenesis.
JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yong Chool Boo
Summary: Melanin pigment plays a key role in determining skin color, with sulfur-containing compounds influencing the relative synthesis of eumelanin and pheomelanin. Thiol compounds can inhibit overall melanin synthesis by binding to the active site of tyrosinase and acting as antioxidants against reactive oxygen species.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hugo Moreiras, Miguel C. Seabra, Duarte C. Barral
Summary: Several models have been proposed to explain the transfer of melanin in the skin epidermis, with recent observations supporting exo/phagocytosis and shed vesicles models. Limited knowledge about melanin processing within keratinocytes suggests that different mechanisms may co-exist to sustain skin pigmentation. Addressing new questions in understanding basal skin pigmentation could lead to new strategies for treating pigmentary disorders and have cosmetic applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kazumasa Wakamatsu, Kylie Munyard, Carolyn Oddie, Shosuke Ito
Summary: The study found that sun exposure significantly affected the color and structure of eumelanin and pheomelanin in alpaca fibers, with sensitive markers for color change and photodegradation being the ratios of A650/A500, PTeCA/Total PTCA, and 4-AHP/3-AHP.
PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Gabriel H. Kindl, John A. D'Orazio
Summary: Skin complexion is determined by the amount and type of melanin pigment in the epidermis, with darker skin having more eumelanin for natural sun protection. Understanding pigmentation regulation can lead to strategies for manipulating skin pigmentation to improve UV resistance and reduce skin cancer risk.
PIGMENT CELL & MELANOMA RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Dermatology
Bing Zhang, Megan He, Inbal Rachmin, Xiaoling Yu, Seungtea Kim, David E. Fisher, Ya-Chieh Hsu
Summary: Stress can lead to the loss of melanocyte stem cells and premature hair greying in mice due to hyperactivation of the sympathetic nervous system. While stress induces the release of stress hormones from the HPA axis, the ACTH-MC1R pathway is not a major contributor to acute stress-induced premature hair greying.
EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Dustin R. Rubenstein, Andre Corvelo, Matthew D. MacManes, Rafael Maia, Giuseppe Narzisi, Anastasia Rousaki, Peter Vandenabeele, Matthew D. Shawkey, Joseph Solomon, Bridgett VonHoldt
Summary: Iridescence is found in a wide range of organisms, with birds displaying a variety of iridescent structural colors in their feathers. The development of iridescent and non-iridescent feathers in superb starlings involves differences in the arrangement and composition of melanosomes, and gene expression related to pigmentation, metabolism, and cellular organization. Iridescent feathers may form through a combination of passive self-assembly and active processes involving gene expression.
JOURNAL OF HEREDITY
(2021)
Article
Dermatology
Joel Duperray Eng, Renaud Sergheraert, Kunyanatt Chalothorn, Preeyanuch Tachalerdmanee, Fabrice Perin
Summary: The study found that oral supplementation with L-Cystine associated with L-Glutathione can effectively lighten the skin and reduce the size of facial dark spots in Asian women after 12 weeks. This combination not only had better effects compared to placebo, but also compared to L-Cystine alone or L-Glutathione alone.
JOURNAL OF COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Bo Xie, Yi Chen, Yebei Hu, Yan Zhao, Haixin Luo, Jinhui Xu, Xiuzu Song
Summary: This study aimed to uncover the molecular targets and mechanisms of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in the treatment of vitiligo. By using network pharmacology and transcriptomics, the study identified four potential key targets (ACHE, PNMT, MC1R, and VDR) of HCQ and revealed the upregulation of genes related to melanosome biogenesis, protein repair, and anti-UV effect after HCQ treatment. These findings suggest that HCQ exerts its protective effects on melanocytes through regulating specific targets.
DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY
(2022)
Article
Dermatology
Alec Sevilla, Jeremy Cheret, Wendy Lee, Ralf Paus
Summary: This pilot study aimed to investigate the effects of melatonin on melanin production and melanocytes in intact human epidermis. The results showed that melanin content and melanocyte dendricity increased with melatonin treatment, while tyrosinase activity was inhibited. Higher doses of melatonin increased the number and proliferation of melanocytes and keratinocytes, as well as the expression of the premelanosomal marker gp100. These findings suggest that long-term melatonin therapy may stimulate melanogenesis and increase the activity of epidermal melanocytes.
EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Developmental Biology
Motohiro Miyadai, Hiroyuki Takada, Akiko Shiraishi, Tetsuaki Kimura, Ikuko Watakabe, Hikaru Kobayashi, Yusuke Nagao, Kiyoshi Naruse, Shin-ichi Higashijima, Takashi Shimizu, Robert N. Kelsh, Masahiko Hibi, Hisashi Hashimoto
Summary: Neural crest cells generate various derivatives, including pigment cells, and serve as a model for studying fate specification. Compared to mammals, the gene regulatory networks and role of Mitf in fish are more complex, and pigment cell fate is determined by the combined activity of Mitf and other transcription factors.
Article
Dermatology
Florian Labarrade, Jean-Marie Botto, Isabelle Imbert
Summary: In this study, human skin primary fibroblasts were converted into induced neurons using small molecules. The resulting induced neurons established contacts with primary skin cells, providing a reliable model to study intercellular communication.
JOURNAL OF COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Keitaro Fukuda
Summary: This article discusses the important role of MSA-specific CD8(+) T cells in the treatment outcomes of melanoma and vitiligo, and explores the key targets for enhancing the efficacy of current therapies and future immunotherapeutic approaches.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Veterinary Sciences
Iwona Szatkowska, Martyna Otreba, Jan Korbecki, Ewa Czerniawska-piatkowska, Jerzy Wojcik, Wilhelm Grzesiak, Daniel Zaborski
Summary: Coat color in dogs is influenced by multiple genes and their polymorphic forms. The main coat color pattern is determined by the type of pigment, eumelanin or pheomelanin, which is regulated by the TYRP1 gene. Other genes, such as PMEL, also contribute to the coat color phenotype, specifically the merle coat color. This review discusses the role of melanocytes in coat color expression, the genotype and phenotype of the merle coat color, phenotypic diversity in M allele carriers, health consequences for carriers of the merle allele, and challenges in identifying M allele carriers based on phenotype and breed acceptance by the FCI.
MEDYCYNA WETERYNARYJNA-VETERINARY MEDICINE-SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Dermatology
Yoko Niki, Naoko Adachi, Masaki Fukata, Yuko Fukata, Shinichiro Oku, Chieko Makino-Okamura, Seiji Takeuchi, Kazumasa Wakamatsu, Shosuke Ito, Lieve Declercq, Daniel B. Yarosh, Tomas Mammone, Chikako Nishigori, Naoaki Saito, Takehiko Ueyama
Summary: This study found that by inhibiting the degradation of tyrosinase, the rate-limiting enzyme in melanin synthesis, an increase in melanin content and tyrosinase protein levels can be achieved in melano-genic cells. The palmitoylation site of tyrosinase was identified as Cys500, and the DHHC2, DHHC3, and DHHC15 proteins were found to be involved in tyrosinase palmitoylation. These findings suggest that palmitoylation plays an important role in regulating melanogenesis by controlling the protein levels of tyrosinase.
JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Shosuke Ito, Alessandra Napolitano, Tadeusz Sarna, Kazumasa Wakamatsu
Summary: This study investigated the effects of iron and copper on the oxidation of dopamine to neuromelanin. The results showed that iron and copper not only accelerated the oxidation process, but also promoted cross-linking and degradation reactions.
JOURNAL OF NEURAL TRANSMISSION
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Waijiao Cai, Kazumasa Wakamatsu, Fabio A. Zucca, Qing Wang, Kai Yang, Niyaz Mohamadzadehonarvar, Pranay Srivastava, Hitomi Tanaka, Gabriel Holly, Luigi Casella, Shosuke Ito, Luigi Zecca, Xiqun Chen
Summary: By studying samples of substantia nigra from patients with Parkinson's disease, we found increased ratios of pheomelanin to dopamine in the melanin content, as well as reduced levels of eumelanins derived from both DOPA and dopamine. Additionally, an increase in pheomelanin relative to dopamine pheomelanin was observed in Parkinson's disease. These findings provide insights into the roles of pheomelanin and eumelanin in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease.
PROGRESS IN NEUROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yasuaki Tamura, Akira Ito, Kazumasa Wakamatsu, Toshihiko Torigoe, Hiroyuki Honda, Shosuke Ito, Kowichi Jimbow
Summary: N-Pr-4-S-CAP is selectively incorporated into melanoma cells and induces CD8(+) T cell-dependent anti-melanoma immunity, leading to the inhibition of melanoma growth. Administration of N-Pr-4-S-CAP could be a potential prophylactic therapy against local recurrence and distant metastasis of melanoma.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ana-Maria Pena, Shosuke Ito, Thomas Bornschlogl, Sebastien Brizion, Kazumasa Wakamatsu, Sandra Del Bino
Summary: To understand the impact of solar light exposure on human skin, researchers explored the chemical analysis of native and UVA-exposed melanins using non-invasive methods like multiphoton FLIM imaging and phasor and bi-exponential fitting analyses. They found that multiphoton FLIM could distinguish between different types of melanins and detect structural changes induced by UVA exposure. The study demonstrated the potential of using these techniques for characterizing mixed melanins in the skin under sunlight exposure conditions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kazumasa Wakamatsu, Shosuke Ito
Summary: Eumelanin and pheomelanin are pigments that determine the colors in animals and are produced in melanocytes in various tissues. The quantity and quality of melanin, including the ratio of eumelanin to pheomelanin, play a role in the diversity of animal colors. Methods for simultaneous measurement of eumelanin and pheomelanin have been developed to study the biochemical and genetic basis of pigmentation. The photoreactivity of melanin is also a major research focus due to its potential link to UVA-induced melanoma risk.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Toshiharu Nagatsu, Akira Nakashima, Hirohisa Watanabe, Shosuke Ito, Kazumasa Wakamatsu, Fabio A. Zucca, Luigi Zecca, Moussa Youdim, Maximilian Wulf, Peter Riederer, Johannes M. Dijkstra
Summary: The dark pigment neuromelanin (NM) is abundant in dopamine (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) and norepinephrine (NE) neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) in the human brain. During the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD), NM levels in these neurons decrease. The synthesis pathway involves conversion of tyrosine to L-DOPA, then to DA or NE, followed by autoxidation and conversion to eumelanic or pheomelanic NM.
JOURNAL OF NEURAL TRANSMISSION
(2023)
Letter
Oncology
Thomas P. Dooley, Sydney Anderson, Shosuke Ito, Kazumasa Wakamatsu
PIGMENT CELL & MELANOMA RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Huijuan Bi, Jonas Tranell, Dawn C. Harper, Weifeng Lin, Jingyi Li, Anders R. Hellstroem, Marten Larsson, Carl-Johan Rubin, Chao Wang, Shumaila Sayyab, Susanne Kerje, Bertrand Bed'hom, David Gourichon, Shosuke Ito, Kazumasa Wakamatsu, Michele Tixier-Boichard, Michael S. Marks, Daniel Globisch, Leif Andersson
Summary: This study identifies a mutation in the COMTD1 gene that causes a defect in pheomelanin pigmentation in chickens. The COMTD1 protein is found in pigment cells and may play a protective role against oxidative stress. This study provides a model for further investigation of COMTD1 function.
Article
Oncology
Yo Tanaka, Misako Sato-Matsubara, Daisuke Tsuruta, Hiroshi Tanaka, Chiho Kadono, Koji Sugawara, Norifumi Kawada, Kazumasa Wakamatsu, Shosuke Ito, Katsutoshi Yoshizato
Summary: CYGB plays a regulatory role in the melanogenic process by maintaining redox homeostasis through controlling intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide.
PIGMENT CELL & MELANOMA RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tiffany S. Slater, Shosuke Ito, Kazumasa Wakamatsu, Fucheng Zhang, Peter Sjovall, Martin Jarenmark, Johan Lindgren, Maria E. McNamara
Summary: The authors present a chemical taphonomy model for fossil melanins based on experimental data obtained from extant bird feathers, which predicts the composition of fossil melanins and provides evidence for the molecular preservation of phaeomelanin in 10 million year old frogs.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)