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
Paleontology
Miriam Heingard, Peter Sjovall, Rene L. Sylvestersen, Bo P. Schultz, Johan Lindgren, Lionel Cavin
Summary: The study revealed that the diminutive larval fish fossils from northern Jutland, Denmark contain chemically identifiable eumelanin, similar to pigmentation patterns seen in many extant teleost larvae. This suggests that adaptations for concealment and UV-protection had already evolved by the beginning of the Eocene, during a time interval characterized by an extreme greenhouse climate.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nan Wei, Ying Tian, Yongping Liao, Natsumi Komatsu, Weilu Gao, Alina Lyuleeva-Husemann, Qiang Zhang, Aqeel Hussain, Er-Xiong Ding, Fengrui Yao, Janne Halme, Kaihui Liu, Junichiro Kono, Hua Jiang, Esko I. Kauppinen
Summary: This study presents a quantitative model that can predict the specific colors of single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) films and identify the coloration mechanism. Calculations for 466 different SWCNT species reveal a broad spectrum of potentially achievable colors. The theory also predicts the existence of brilliantly colored SWCNT films, which align with experimental expectations.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Zoology
C. M. Suarez-Tovar, R. Guillermo-Ferreira, I. A. Cooper, R. R. Cezario, A. Cordoba-Aguilar
Summary: This article summarizes the knowledge on color recognition and production in adult odonates, as well as the function of color and future research directions. Odonates, being exemplary animals for field and laboratory research, provide significant advancements in understanding insect color.
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Yukari Shinohara, Satoshi Kasagi, Noriko Amiya, Yukihiro Hoshino, Ryo Ishii, Noriyuki Hyodo, Hiroaki Yamaguchi, Shoh Sato, Masafumi Amano, Akiyoshi Takahashi, Kanta Mizusawa
Summary: This study investigates the mechanism of skin color regulation in koi carp and reveals the differences in skin coloration response to background color between koi carp and common carp. The findings suggest that the weak sensitivity of scale melanophores to MCH and adrenaline may be responsible for the lack of skin color change in koi carp.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Humanities, Multidisciplinary
David I. Perrett
Summary: Fashion advice for clothing color is often based on the wearer's skin color, but this study suggests that the color of the wearer's eyes plays a more important role in clothing color choice, even when participants were instructed to match clothing to skin color.
PSYCHOLOGY OF AESTHETICS CREATIVITY AND THE ARTS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Miriam Heingard, Peter Sjovall, Bo P. Schultz, Rene L. Sylvestersen, Johan Lindgren
Summary: This study examined 55-million-year-old insect fossils from Denmark and found that they are composed of cuticular remains dominated by the pigment eumelanin. The beetle elytra also displayed a delicate lamellar structure that produces metallic hues. These findings provide insights into the fossilization process of insect body fossils in marine environments.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Feibiao Song, Liping Shi, Fucheng Yao, Yue Gu, Da Zheng, Weiwei Zhang, Yesong Liang, Kaixi Zhang, Min Yang, Lei Wang, Junlong Sun, Jian Luo
Summary: The skin color of leopard coral groupers is strongly affected by the background color, and a white background is more conducive to maintaining red skin color in juvenile fish.
Article
Fisheries
Li-jun He, Zhen Yang, Zhao-wei Zhong, Yan Xu, Yan Feng, Zhen Ding, Hong-wei Liu, Yong-hua Jiang
Summary: The distribution of pigment cells in the fins and scales of pearlscale angelfish was observed, and genes related to skin coloration were annotated and screened. The results indicated that melanocytes were more concentrated in the tail scales, melanocytes and yellow pigment cells were mainly present in the anal fin, tail fin, and dorsal fin, and xanthophore with a few melanocytes were mainly present in the pectoral fin and abdominal fin. Through KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, it was found that tyrosine metabolism, MAPK, Wnt, and melanin production were involved in the regulation of skin coloration in C. vrolikii.
AQUACULTURE INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Nan Zhang, Hui Ying Lai, Archana Gautam, Darien Yu De Kwek, Yibing Dong, Qiang Wang, Kee Woei Ng
Summary: This study developed a successive process to successfully extract melanosomes from human hair waste, demonstrating the preservation of their structure and functionality. By combining melanosome isolation with keratin extraction, the total resource recovery efficiency from hair waste was significantly improved.
JOURNAL OF POLYMERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lei Wang, Hehe Liu, Bo Hu, Jiwei Hu, Hengyong Xu, Hua He, Chunchun Han, Bo Kang, Lili Bai, Rongping Zhang, Jiwen Wang, Shengqiang Hu, Liang Li
Summary: By using silver ammonia staining and RNA-seq analysis, the major genes affecting the black skin color of ducks were studied, and it was found that genes related to melanin biosynthesis pathway are mainly associated with skin color. EDNRB2 is one of the key genes affecting black skin color, which up-regulates melanin synthesis, leading to the formation of black skin in ducks.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sina Bahrpeyma, Mika Reinisalo, Laura Hellinen, Seppo Auriola, Eva M. del Amo, Arto Urtti
Summary: In this study, we investigated the mechanisms and kinetics of pigment-related drug retention using isolated melanin particles, melanosomes, and pigmented cells. Our results showed that the release of drugs from melanin and melanosomes was faster compared to pigmented cells. Additionally, our simulations revealed that drug retention in cells was prolonged with decreasing drug permeability in melanosomal membranes and increasing melanin content in cells.
JOURNAL OF CONTROLLED RELEASE
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Yuansong Liu, Yunxiao Gao, Zhiming Yu, Yang Zhang
Summary: Microbial dyeing of wood is a pollution-free and sustainable dyeing technology, which shows good results in changing the color of wood and has little impact on the chemical components of wood.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WOOD AND WOOD PRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Yong-li Wang, Chao Huang, Yang Yu, Ri-chun Cai, Yong-chun Su, Zhi-wu Chen, Mai-qing Zheng, Huan-xian Cui
Summary: The abnormal green skin on the shank of San-Huang chicken, which reduces the carcass quality and economic benefit, is primarily caused by excessive aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in feed, leading to increased melanin deposition. This study highlights the dangers of AFB1 in broiler production.
JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE AGRICULTURE
(2023)
Review
Dermatology
Piyu Parth Naik, Syed Nadir Farrukh
Summary: Skin color plays a significant role in skin structure and function, as well as in the variation of dermatological diseases among different races. The content of melanin is the primary factor determining ethnic skin color differences. Understanding skin color adaptation and genetic mechanisms is crucial for comprehending the development of human genetic and phenotypic diversity.
SKIN PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Ismael Galvan
JOURNAL OF MAMMALIAN EVOLUTION
(2020)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Ismael Galvan, Juan Carlos Vargas-Mena, Bernal Rodriguez-Herrera
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGICAL SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTIONARY RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Biology
Ana Carolina de Oliveira Neves, Ismael Galvan, Dirk Van den Abeele
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Sol Rodriguez-Martinez, Kazumasa Wakamatsu, Ismael Galvan
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sol Rodriguez-Martinez, Ismael Galvan
Summary: Gene expression can be modulated by epigenetic modifications, allowing rapid adaptation to environmental stress. Stress, such as social stress, can cause changes in gene expression, but these changes may be reversed after stress cessation to maintain the phenotype. Reversible gene expression, possibly mediated by DNA methylation changes, could prevent alterations in the pigmentation phenotype under transient stressful conditions.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY REPORTS
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ismael Galvan, Tonia S. Schwartz, Theodore Garland
Summary: Evolutionary physiology, born out of the interaction between evolutionary biology and physiology, has not reached its full potential yet. By exploring new avenues and studying the potential of wild animal physiological adaptations for biomedical purposes, as well as the role of epigenetic modifications in regulating physiological traits, there is a possibility of enhancing the understanding of physiological evolution.
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Ana Carolina de Oliveira Neves, Mohammed Zougagh, Angel Rios, Roma Tauler, Kazumasa Wakamatsu, Ismael Galvan
Summary: The study successfully quantified the constituent monomers of pheomelanin using Raman spectroscopy combined with chemometrics. The MCR-ALS method was effective in predicting the concentrations of BT and BZ, as well as extracting interference from keratin in feathers. This method provides a direct and non-destructive analytical approach for pheomelanin subunits at the monomeric level.
CHEMOMETRICS AND INTELLIGENT LABORATORY SYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Jose Javier Ruiz, Monica Marro, Ismael Galvan, Jose Bernabeu-Wittel, Julian Conejo-Mir, Teresa Zulueta-Dorado, Ana Belen Guisado-Gil, Pablo Loza-Alvarez
Summary: Raman spectroscopy combined with multivariate analysis has the potential to non-invasively diagnose skin tumors by characterizing their pigment composition. Differences in DHICA content allow for the accurate classification of dysplastic lesions in an objective, efficient, and cost-effective manner.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marwa Louleb, Ismael Galvan, Latifa Latrous, Nicholas M. Justyn, Geoffrey E. Hill, Angel Rios, Mohammed Zougagh
Summary: Unlike humans, some animals have the ability to deposit porphyrins in their skin and hair. In this study, we developed a simple and efficient analytical method for quantifying porphyrins in the hair of the Southern flying squirrel. This method offers higher simplicity, precision, selectivity, and sensitivity compared to previous methods, and has the potential to become the standard technique for porphyrin analysis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Ismael Galvan
Summary: Melanin pigments play adaptive roles in birds, and black feathers in male pied flycatchers are sexually selected by females. Raman spectroscopy analysis reveals that the monomeric composition of melanin is associated with feather color, potentially serving as the basis for honest signalling in these birds.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Jihene Ben Attig, Latifa Latrous, Ismael Galvan, Mohammed Zougagh, Angel Rios
Summary: An electrochemical sensor based on a screen-printed carbon electrode modified with porphyrin-functionalized magnetic graphene oxide was developed for the determination of malondialdehyde in serum samples. The sensor allows for separation, preconcentration, and manipulation of the analyte, which is selectively captured onto the modified electrode. The sensor demonstrated excellent analytical performance and is suitable for routine monitoring of malondialdehyde in serum samples.
ANALYTICAL AND BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Sol Rodriguez-Martinez, Olafur Arnalds, Jon Gudmundsson, Maria Svavarsdottir, Fanney O. Gisladottir, Olafur K. Nielsen, Ismael Galvan
Summary: Melanins are common pigments in birds and mammals. The synthesis of pheomelanin, a form of melanin, is influenced by sulfur exposure. A study found a significant correlation between sulfur content in soil and pheomelanin content in bird feathers, suggesting that environmental sulfur exposure promotes pheomelanin production.
JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ismael Galvan, Abbas Hassasfar, Betony Adams, Francesco Petruccione
Summary: Mechanisms occurring at the atomic level can drive essential processes for life, and quantum effects on biochemical reactions have revealed this. Organisms may show atomic imprints in their macroscopic characteristics, which can affect their evolution. This study explores the possibility for the appearance of migratory behavior, an animal innovation with an unclear evolutionary origin, and suggests that it may be mediated by a radical pair mechanism in a protein called cryptochrome.
Article
Biology
Roger D. Santer, Otar Akanyeti, John A. Endler, Ismael Galvan, Michael N. Okal
Summary: Diurnal biting flies are strongly attracted to blue objects, potentially due to the resemblance of blue objects to animal hosts. Artificial neural networks trained to distinguish animals from leaf backgrounds and shaded from unshaded surfaces using fly sensory information accurately classified blue objects used in fly control. The blue-gree opponency was found to be the most effective means of discriminating animals from leaf backgrounds.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ana Carolina de Oliveira Neves, Ismael Galvan