Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P01189 (beta-endorphin)
 21,003 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Melanosomes are melanin-containing organelles that belong to a recently individualized group of lysosome-related organelles. Recently, numerous reports have dissected the molecular mechanisms that control melanosome transport, but nothing was known about the possible regulation of melanosome distribution by exogenous physiological stimulus. In the present report, we demonstrate that a physiological melanocyte-differentiating agent such as alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, through the stimulation of the cAMP pathway, induces a rapid centrifugal transport of melanosomes, leading to their accumulation at the dendrite tips of melanocytes. Interestingly, the small GTP binding proteins of the p21Rho family and one of their effectors, p160 Rho-associated kinase, but not PKA, play a key role in redistribution of melanosomes at the extremities of the dendrites. Further, we have investigated, at the molecular level, the effect of cAMP on the different proteins involved in the control of melanosome transport. We demonstrate that cAMP stimulates the expression of Rab27a and rapidly increases the interaction of the melanophilin/Slac2-a with actin. Thus, we propose that the stimulation of the interaction between melanophilin/Slac2-a and actin would allow the rapid accumulation of melanosomes in the actin-rich region of the dendrite extremities.
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PMID:Cyclic AMP promotes a peripheral distribution of melanosomes and stimulates melanophilin/Slac2-a and actin association. 1505 72

More than 150 genes have been identified that affect skin color either directly or indirectly, and we review current understanding of physiological factors that regulate skin pigmentation. We focus on melanosome biogenesis, transport and transfer, melanogenic regulators in melanocytes, and factors derived from keratinocytes, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, hormones, inflammatory cells, and nerves. Enzymatic components of melanosomes include tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein 1, and dopachrome tautomerase, which depend on the functions of OA1, P, MATP, ATP7A, and BLOC-1 to synthesize eumelanins and pheomelanins. The main structural component of melanosomes is Pmel17/gp100/Silv, whose sorting involves adaptor protein 1A (AP1A), AP1B, AP2, and spectrin, as well as a chaperone-like component, MART-1. During their maturation, melanosomes move from the perinuclear area toward the plasma membrane. Microtubules, dynein, kinesin, actin filaments, Rab27a, melanophilin, myosin Va, and Slp2-a are involved in melanosome transport. Foxn1 and p53 up-regulate skin pigmentation via bFGF and POMC derivatives including alpha-MSH and ACTH, respectively. Other critical factors that affect skin pigmentation include MC1R, CREB, ASP, MITF, PAX3, SOX9/10, LEF-1/TCF, PAR-2, DKK1, SCF, HGF, GM-CSF, endothelin-1, prostaglandins, leukotrienes, thromboxanes, neurotrophins, and neuropeptides. UV radiation up-regulates most factors that increase melanogenesis. Further studies will elucidate the currently unknown functions of many other pigment genes/proteins. (c) 2009 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
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PMID:Physiological factors that regulate skin pigmentation. 1944 48